I'll be honest, I'm sorta playing fast and loose with the timeline here. This takes place in early- to mid-summer. Assuming Rapunzel's birthday was early to mid spring, and Varian's is about six months after that according to what I decided for Blood of my Brother, then this is about June. This really isn't plot relevant at all; I just needed to figure it out.
Trigger warnings: arguing, references to death and torture
Varian hurried to keep up with Adira's unfaltering steps as they raced down the narrow, tree-lined road. Off ahead of them, Quirin and Hector had gone off to scout and to find a place to make camp. And, Adira said, to give them some time to talk through things. That left her in charge of watching him while they were away, and thus their (most assuredly skewed in her favor) race.
"Come on, Var," she called. "Don't tell me you're tired already!"
"We've been—" he gasped for breath. "Running for… for miles already!"
"This is nothing! Wait till we work on your swimming stamina." Her back was turned to him, but he could have sworn she was laughing at him.
Though officially Hector was responsible for teaching him, Adira had seized the opportunity to "corrupt his impressionable young mind," as Hector liked to complain. Despite her reclusive tendencies and her questionable mentoring skills, she seemed to enjoy sharing her knowledge with him. And Varian, hungry as he was for anything he could get from the Brotherhood, listened to every word with rapt attention and obediently committed to every exercise, kata, and spar. And that, unfortunately, meant running down the road like an idiot instead of riding one of the bearcats or Kubwa.
It also, more fortunately, meant he got away from Quirin and Hector for a while.
They were getting on his nerves.
Despite their temporary truce, the two still had much to work through, and it was Varian's great misfortune to be stuck completely in the middle of their biggest disagreement. Thus his agreement to Adira's ridiculous training regiment.
Ruddiger chattered cheerfully as he sprinted past Varian, running alongside Adira until she conceded to lower her arm and let him climb onto her shoulder. He hopped up, turning to mockingly click at his boy. Varian spluttered in indignation. "Wh— ba— That's cheating! You're cheating!"
Overhead, a shadow blotted out the sun, and Artemis's long cry carried through the air as she swept down to land on Varian's outstretched arm. He stopped running, slightly stooped over as he panted for breath. "Hi, Artemis. Back already?"
Artemis lifted a leg, revealing the rolled paper tied with purple ribbon. Varian grinned and pulled the string to release it. Stepping to the side of the road, he sat underneath a tree and unrolled the paper. Adira ran back to him, leaning over him. As Varian's eyes trailed along the paper, he read aloud.
To the loyal Order of the Brotherhood of the Dark Kingdom
From Her Royal Majesty, Queen Arianna Der Sonne of Corona
It is with pleasure that I pen this letter to you. In the weeks since your departure, we have settled into a peace, of sorts. I wanted to write and inform you of the changes I have already begun to make. In a week's time, I will meet with the queen of Kotoa to hold discussions of increased trade between our kingdoms, and a week after that I meet with the queen of Ingvarr to open the possibility of allowing our guards — those whom I trust, of course — to receive military training. Captain Bartholomew is taking my security with all seriousness and wants to inform you that he has already devised an escape plan in case we are forced to flee the country.
Rapunzel sends her love and respect, and she asks me to write that Maximus is working to improve the state of the Royal Guard. Eugene is taking his studies very seriously, and he appreciates the books on Dark Kingdom culture that His Majesty King Edmund brought over upon his arrival in Corona. (There was some resistance to his visit, as he is a member of the Brotherhood and of your family, but no one wanted to risk offending a neighboring king and Rapunzel's future father-in-law, so he has settled in well.) Lance asks that I convey his respect as well, and he has taken an interest in your country's music. If possible, when we are able to establish relations, he would like to take lessons in your instruments and potentially transcribe your songs into sheet music.
Until I have the pleasure of writing again, I remain faithfully your friend,
Queen Arianna.
Adira frowned. "I wasn't aware that Edmund had traveled to Corona."
"He sent Hamuel with a message," Varian informed her. "Did Hector not show you? He decided to go see Eugene, so they sent a balloon for him. I think he wants to test the political waters of Corona in case anything goes wrong or Queen Arianna is able to establish relations. And he wants to spend time with his son since he hasn't seen him all these years."
"Is Fishskin okay with this?"
"He's… taking it, at least. It's still weird for him, but I think he wants to know more about King Edmund, too."
"And how are you taking this?" she asked softly, stepping closer to him. "I know you still don't trust Edmund, but—"
"I don't—" Varian shrugged. "I still need time. I know he didn't hurt you, but he could have." The sight of the dark bruises that covered Adira's arms and shoulders still lurked at the edges of his nightmares. Edmund would never hurt Adira, he knew this, but it was still too easy to see that and to imagine his heavy fist driving into her skin over and over again. "I think I'll get used to him one day. Here, can you hand me that bag? I need to write her back."
Adira slung the pack off her shoulder. Varian grabbed a paper and pen from inside and settled back against the tree, resting the paper on top of his sketchbook as he began to write. Once everyone had a chance to write their part, he would send it back with Artemis.
To Her Royal Majesty, Queen Arianna Der Sonne of Corona
From the Brotherhood
Your Majesty, your letter is well received. Things have been well for us since we left…
O‴O‴O‴
Hector slid his knife over the edge of the stake until the point was satisfactorily sharp. The shavings landed in the fire, offering a bit of extra fuel. Holding up the stick, he surveyed the point and nodded with a deep grunt. Setting it to the side, he grabbed a second and began sharpening it too.
Quirin appeared at the edge of the campsite, carrying several fowl. "We've got a problem."
"So I've heard," Hector muttered.
Quirin scowled and set the fowl down next to the fire. "Look at those."
Hector set his stake down and looked over at the fowl. Riki and Kiki, curled up nearby, stared at the birds with twin glints of hunger in their red eyes, but they lay still at Hector's uplifted hand. "What am I looking at?"
With a gesture, he indicated deep wounds in the birds' flesh. "I didn't do this. I found each of these. Three of them, all with these tied to their legs." He held up small scraps of paper, passing them over to Hector.
Hector took the notes. Each one was a plea for help, written in barely legible script with dreadful spelling. "Where did you find these?"
"Off in the woods. They were a ways apart. And they weren't all killed at the same time. Looks to me like someone's trying to get a message out, and someone else doesn't want them to."
"Arrow wounds," Hector noted, running a finger alongside the holes in the small bodies. "These aren't messenger birds, though. Whoever sent them was clearly desperate. I'd say none of them are more than four days dead. So whoever it is may still be in trouble. We should take a look and see."
"It'll take us out of our way. Do we have that kind of time?"
"Can we really choose not to? If people are in trouble, we need to do something."
Quirin nodded. "You have a point. We can move out once Varian and Adira get here."
Hector nodded. "Did you find anything else while you were hunting? Like something edible?"
From his sack, Quirin withdrew a few rabbits. "There's not much to hunt around here, but I found a few. We should skin them and clean them before Varian gets back. He won't want to see that."
"He won't mind," Hector said. "It doesn't bother him. He's a pretty good hunter, himself. Shoulda seen the buck he tracked down during his ceremonial hunt."
Quirin's face grew tight. Hector huffed. Really, was there nothing he could say about Varian that wouldn't get on Quirin's nerves? They shared no common point in his life except for this. Quirin had had the first fourteen years of Varian's life, and Hector had the last six months. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't converse about Varian's alchemical prowess or his good-natured friendliness. That one night in the woods when he'd lost his memory had been Hector's only glimpse into the Varian he had never been privileged to know, the one that Quirin still tried to cling to. And to Quirin, this wild-mannered boy who wielded swords instead of chemicals and wore his hair braided rather than short was a stranger, a facsimile of his son.
Soft chatter and laughter carried over the wind towards them. From the direction of the road, Adira and Varian came into view. They neared the fire, settling down next to the other two; Adira stretched her arms above her head and cracked her knuckles, while Varian leaned against Hector's side and yawned.
"Good run?" Hector asked.
"She's cruel and heartless," he retorted. "My poor muscles will never recover from this. Oh! We got a letter from the queen!" He held out the paper. Hector took it and scanned over the words quickly with a nod of appreciation. As always, the Coronan queen managed to impress him. She'd wasted no time at all in setting to work to undo her husband's malicious designs. Such tenacity and drive would have made her a perfect fit in the Dark Kingdom during its living days.
Quirin stood. "You two stay here and rest. Hector and I have some work to do."
"What's the situation?" Adira asked.
"Trouble not far from here. We think there's someone in need of assistance." He explained the evidence he'd discovered and shared with Hector.
"Aww," Varian pouted. "Can't we come?"
"I'd rather check this out and make sure it's not dangerous," Quirin said. "If it is, the two of us will do what we can, and we'll move on quickly for more secure areas. No sense stepping into something we don't need to be a part of. Stay here where I know you'll be safe. I don't need to worry about protecting you as well."
Varian's eyes narrowed. Hector winced. They'd been able to avoid this for this long, and now Quirin had to stick his foot in his mouth. "You're never going to let me prove I'm capable of protecting myself. You're just gonna keep telling me you trust me, and then you'll push me off to the side anytime things get dangerous. I'm a knight, too, you know."
"Don't remind me," Quirin muttered under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"You saw what I did to David! I'm not some fragile little bird. I can handle myself!"
"Or you could get yourself killed. We don't know what's out there."
Hector stood up. "This is going nowhere fast. My turn to talk. Varian, I want you to stay here for now." As Varian's mouth dropped in shock and hurt, he continued, "It's bad strategy to send everyone into a situation at once. That's why we split up and scout. Once we know how things lay, then we call everyone in. I won't leave you behind just because it's dangerous." He lifted a hand and rested it atop Varian's head. "Trust me, kid. I just want to know what we're dealing with first. Then I'll come get you. Sound like a plan?" He knelt beside Varian to get on eye level. "Hey, part of being a knight is following orders. Sometimes even ones we don't like. You chose to let me lead you, and now I need you to trust me not to let you down."
Varian's shoulders slumped. He crossed his arms but nodded. "Fine. I'll do what I have to."
"Good kid. I'll be back in an hour or two." Standing again, he motioned to Quirin. "Let's hurry. It's getting dark." Approaching the grazing Kubwa, he pointed to the bearcats. "Stay here." They snuffled angrily but settled down by Varian's feet.
They climbed up onto Kubwa and Aurora and started off into the woods.
"Thank you," Quirin said softly as the rhino barreled through the trees with the subtlety of a bear in a music shop. "I know you don't like leaving him behind."
"I didn't do it for you," Hector bit back. Quirin wisely stayed silent. With a long sigh, Hector ran his hand through his braids. "Splitting up is normal, but Varian hates being left behind. There's a lot about him you're not used to."
"I know. I have a lot to learn. But I don't even know what I don't know."
"You'll learn. But you can't pretend he's the same kid who ran out into that storm to get you help. He's not."
They fell silent after that, lost in their thoughts. A part of Hector ached to go back and get Varian. After all his talk of not leaving him behind, he stooped to agreeing with Quirin when push came to shove. And yeah, it was for a good purpose, and it was the same thing he would have said to either of his siblings, but Varian wasn't like them yet. A knight in his own regard and a growing warrior, he still had much to learn. He wasn't raised in the Dark Kingdom, in the ranks of the cadets all vying for one of three prestigious positions. Varian couldn't be treated the way he and his siblings had. He couldn't be trained the same. He needed different things. He needed to be kept close to one of them always for his own peace of mind. Varian needed him.
Lost in his thoughts, Hector almost failed to notice when Kubwa came to an abrupt stop at the edge of the ruined village.
O‴O‴O‴
"We're out of stinging nettle."
Adira looked over at him. "I packed two jars. How are we out?"
"I think we made too much tea. Remember the night we didn't drink it all? But we'll need more soon. We're moving out of the climate it grows in, and we need to make sure we have plenty of herbs before we go north." Without turning back to look at Adira, Varian slowly passed the still-full jar to Ruddiger, who stuffed it away in their bedroll. "If you want to get more, I'll stay here and take inventory of all our other supplies."
"I'm not sure I like the idea of leaving you here alone."
"I won't be alone." Varian turned and gave her a bright grin. "I've got Riki and Kiki and Ruddiger and Artemis. I think we can find something to do."
Adira frowned. "If you're sure. Wouldn't you rather come with me and help me find some?"
"Nah. I need to finish all this homework Dad left me." He held up his mapmaking supplies. "He wants me to copy a map of the entire Bayangoran kingdom. I'd almost rather go for another run than do that."
Eyes narrowed, she stared at him for several long seconds. Varian smiled innocently, waiting until she nodded and turned away. "I'll be back in less than an hour. And if you're not here when I get back, I'll ground you for life," she warned with the point of a finger.
Varian waited till she left. Then he waited five minutes longer. When he was certain she wouldn't come back with no warning, he stuffed the map supplies back in his bag and leapt to his feet. "Okay. We have maybe forty-five minutes to make tracks, since there's no way she'll be gone an hour. Let's go."
Riki whined and took Varian's cloak in his mouth, tugging it gently. Varian pulled it free. "Come on, Riki. If Uncle Hector and Dad are in danger, we need to do something to help. We won't step in unless we have to, but they'll need us as backup!"
Artemis flapped her wings and gave a low cry, shaking her head. Varian crossed his arms. "Yeah, I know— I know what Uncle Hector said. And Aunt Adira. But I'm a part of the Brotherhood, too. Hiding here isn't doing any good, and I'm tired of them trying to shelter me. Last time he tried to shelter me, things didn't go so well," he grumbled, wrapping his arms around himself. "No more lies. And no more being left behind. Now are y'all coming with me or not?"
Ruddiger climbed up to his shoulders. Riki let go of his cloak and crouched down beside him. Kiki gave a sharp-toothed grin. With one last shake of her feathered head, Artemis flew to sit on Kiki's back. Varian hopped onto Riki and motioned him in the direction the men had gone. "We gotta stay out of sight," he warned. "If we get caught, we're in big trouble. And we can't let Adira catch us." With a deep breath, he added, "No problem. We got this."
With that parting bit of optimism, they tore off into the woods after Hector and Quirin.
O‴O‴O‴
The village lay stretched out before them, sharp rocks pierced through the wooden and stone structures. Roofs lay collapsed atop the fallen walls, water soaked the dirt streets from overturned and smashed water vessels, and the soft, mournful cries of pain and bitterness drifted along on a breeze tainted with the smell of decaying flesh. Something putrid hung in the air, an acrid rot. Something freshly dead. Smoke clouded the air, floating up from smoldering wreckage and the remnants of small cooking fires.
"What happened here?" Quirin whispered. "What is this?"
"Not sure," Hector murmured back. "Looks like the rocks moved. Maybe when the thief took the Moonstone. The damage looks to be a week or so old, but those fires are fresh. Let's go down and check it out."
"Wait," Quirin warned. "Circle around. Look for hostiles. Split up."
"I'll take south. You go north. Kubwa, Aurora, stay here and keep watch." Hector dismounted and started towards the south side of town. Quirin's hand on his arm stopped him.
"Why would anyone build on top of an area where the rocks were already present?" Quirin asked. "I don't think the rocks moved. I think they're new. She's stretching her reach."
"Then she's closer than we thought."
Quirin's deep eyes narrowed in grief. "This is what the Moonstone causes. This is everything we worked to prevent. I watched this happen in Old Corona. I watched it happen in the Dark Kingdom." A heavy sigh rocked his body. "This can't go on. I see… I understand why you kept fighting. I don't hold it against you. I wanted better for Varian, but… he always wanted to help people. That's all he ever wanted. When the rocks came to Old Corona, he would spend days without sleep down in his lab trying to get rid of them."
"He needed to do something," Hector said. "He hates feeling powerless."
"I'm afraid I didn't do a very good job at that, then."
"You still have time. You have a second chance with him."
Quirin nodded. Letting go of Hector's arm, he took a step back.
"We'll meet on the other side," Hector suggested. "If anything happens and either of us have to move into the town, try to be there in twenty minutes after. If we aren't, the other can go in after."
"Got it."
They split up, heading in their respective arches around the town. Despite the weight of the task ahead of him, Hector moved with lighter steps. If Quirin was finally coming to an understanding of Varian's situation, maybe things would get easier between the two of them. As much as he loved his brother, Hector found himself resisting the urge to plant a fist in his face over the last week. Nothing new, of course, but that would make Varian sad. And Hector was trying very, very hard not to make him sad. So Quirin needed to get a grip before Hector had to knock some sense into him the old-fashioned way.
O‴O‴O‴
A knot settled in Varian's stomach as he looked out over the town. It looked so much like Old Corona. Like his first home, where he'd been imprisoned and beaten, where he'd lost his dad, where he'd lost himself. Was there a boy in this town, a boy grieving the loss of someone close to him? Was there a broken heart with nothing left to lose, someone ready to sell their very soul in exchange for the chance to make the person responsible pay?
Ruddiger tapped his cheek, crooning softly as he curled around Varian's neck. Varian shook himself loose from the threads of thought. "Right. Thanks, bud. Let's go. Which way?"
Kiki sniffed along the ground, nodding his head to the south. Riki, though, whined and scuffed his paw alongside a heavy footprint in the dirt. Then they'd split up, and now Varian had a choice to make. He started to nudge Riki to follow his brother, but a cold dread gripped at his throat. He needed to be by Hector's side; he was his sword-father and mentor. But he couldn't let Quirin wander into danger by himself. He hadn't lifted his sword in years, the life of a knight buried behind the stone walls of his house in a thick chest.
Settling his mind, he turned to the north. "Artemis, can you follow Hector? Arte—Artemis? Where'd you go?" He twisted his head around and nearly fell from Riki's back as a large gray snout puffed a breath of hot air into his face. "Augh! Kubwa, what the dickens!" Shoving his bangs from his face, he glared up at the rhino and at Artemis, perched smugly on his head. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
Kubwa stomped around in front of Riki, pressing his horn against Varian's chest and nudging him back. Varian shoved him away— or tried to, at least. Kubwa snorted and nudged him again. "Yeah, I know, but come on. Nobody actually expected me to sit there and wait on them. They're probably making bets about which one of them I'll follow and how long I'll be. So you can stay here and keep watching, and I'm going after Dad." Turning his back on Kubwa, he nudged Riki with his heel and motioned for him to go north. Leaving the irate herbivore behind, they hurried off after Quirin.
They raced around the town, Artemis flying above the smog and Varian covering his mouth with his cloak. Ruddiger used a strip of cloth over his face, and the bearcats ran on, uncaring and unbothered. Following Quirin's footsteps, they spotted him off in the distance, standing on a hill overlooking the small town. They darted behind it, careful to keep out of sight. Sliding off Riki's back, Varian crept closer to the crest of the hill, eyes locked on Quirin's broad back.
He froze halfway up as Quirin suddenly stiffened. His head twisted from side to side, listening and watching. Varian pressed himself into the dried grass, head low. When Quirin started walking again, leaving the hill behind and continuing on his path around the town, he slowly rose and stole after him. Riki and Kiki followed along at a distance, creeping along just inside the treeline. Ruddiger pranced after Varian, ducking behind his waving cloak.
So far, Quirin didn't seem to need any help. Varian kept his eyes on the town, trusting the bearcats to deal with any threats from the forest. Maybe he'd overreacted. Maybe Quirin wouldn't need him. And Hector certainly didn't need him. Had he made a mistake in coming? But if anything happened to Quirin while Varian waited safely back at camp, how could he call himself a member of the Brotherhood? So he kept following, ducking down behind scattered wreckage and the occasional tree.
Then Quirin stepped behind a building, out of view.
"Oh, come on," Varian grumbled. Darting from his hiding place, he motioned for the animals to wait and slunk around to the edge of the building, near the corner. Where had he gone? Had he seen something, like a person in danger or a threat or—
A hand grabbed him and yanked him around the corner, and he found himself face to face with a storm-eyed Quirin. "One order," his father said with a deep sigh, eyes lined with familiar exhaustion. "I gave you one order. Stay at camp. Even Hector told you. And yet here you are." He knelt down, hands resting on Varian's arms, holding him in place. Varian tensed. His core muscles locked as a sharp voice, an ever-present companion, screamed in the back of his mind. Let go, let go, stop touching me! Get your hands off me! But that was ridiculous, because this was Quirin, and Quirin wouldn't hurt him, but Quirin's hands were on his arms and he couldn't move and they were thick and heavy and corded with powerful muscles that could break him in half with little effort—
"Why are you here?" Quirin demanded. "Why can't you just do as you're told for once? I'm trying to be patient with you, son, and I'm trying to understand, but I need you to work with me. I need you to listen to me."
Varian yanked himself free of Quirin's grip, pulling his breathing under control. He was safe. Nothing was going to happen. Quirin wouldn't hurt him. "I just— I just wanted to help," he answered weakly, voice shaking.
"You could have helped me by staying back at camp," Quirin said. "I don't need to worry about you as well as all of this. When I tell you to do something, I expect you to obey."
"I know, I know, but I just thought—"
"Then go back. Adira is probably worried sick about you. I don't even want to know how you got away from her."
Varian opened his mouth to answer, but the words disappeared somewhere along the way. Why could he never speak the words he wanted to say in front of Quirin? Why did he find himself voiceless and silent, unable to find his footing? It felt far too much like trying to talk to Rapunzel after they'd encountered one another at the Great Tree. Like he could either only spit vitriol or humbly stay silent and passive. With his father, he had no desire to be angry, but the silent, passive Varian had been taken advantage of too many times for him to be comfortable ever stepping into that role again. Why could he not simply say the words he meant? To admit the fear that gripped his heart when he thought of losing Quirin again?
Because fear was a weakness to be exploited. Because fear left him powerless. Because fear had led him to his worst self, the darkness that forever lurked at the back of his mind, a stain upon his consciousness that awaited the perfect moment to arise and consume him. And to voice such fear would make it real.
Quirin stood. "Go back, Varian. Let me handle this."
"Is it so hard for you to trust me?" he half-whispered, half-spat.
"What?"
Varian gritted his teeth, cheeks burning in shame. "I thought I could make you proud. Was that too much to ask? For you to just be proud of me, for once? Uncle Hector is. You're expecting me to— You want me to go back to the way I used to be, before all this. Like all of it never happened. But it happened. I won't ever be able to live like that again. I thought you understood that!"
"I do understand, son, but—"
"No, you don't! You say you do, but you don't. You want to pretend you can't see what I look like. Well, I have to see it every time I look at my reflection. I don't get to forget."
"Varian." Quirin reached out a hand to him, but Varian stepped back and away from him. Hurt flashed across Quirin's face, quickly concealed by the aggravating concern he never seemed to lose. "I do see you. And I'm trying. But I don't think running headfirst into danger is the smartest thing for you to do. You're brilliant, son, but you always choose recklessness first. This world is new to you. You're not a fighter like Hector or Adira or even me. You're a scientist."
"I don't know who I am anymore!"
The words left his mouth in a rush, cold and bitter and stinging his mouth like the vile compounds he'd been forced to swallow. Quirin took a step back, the creases across his face deepening.
Varian nearly laughed aloud, bitterness rising in his throat like a storm. "I thought for once," he replied, mentally cursing the shaking of his voice, "I'd finally be a son you could be proud of! I can— I can throw a decent punch, I hunt now, I'm more careful, and I… and I don't do alchemy! Isn't that what you wanted? Why am I still not good enough for you?! Why is nothing I do ever enough?"
"Son, it's not—"
"Or is it the Brotherhood?" he rambled on, fists clenched by his side as he tilted his head to see better from his left. "You're ashamed. You're ashamed of your past and your family. You never told me about them! Do you have any idea what I went through? And none of it would've happened if I'd known I had people out there who loved me, who would protect me!"
"I thought you would be safer away from them."
"Yeah," he scoffed, spreading his arms. "I was real safe."
Quirin knelt down again and slid his glove off. Holding up his hand so Varian could see the tattoo, he said, "I was never ashamed of the Brotherhood. And I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe. All I wanted was to protect you. I thought I was doing the right thing by pushing you out of the way. I never imagined it would cause this much pain to you. I will always want to protect you, and I truly am proud of the man you're becoming. I'm sorry I don't show it well." He bowed his head. "Please understand, I watched as everything I loved disappeared. You are all I have left. I wanted so much more for you than this. I'm so… I'm terrified of losing you, son."
Tears stung at his eyes. "I'm afraid of losing you, too. I lost you, and I couldn't do anything. And it was my fault. I nearly killed you and I couldn't help you and then—" He cut himself off quickly, biting his lip.
"I'm not lost," Quirin rasped. "I'm right here. And so are you. We have another chance. Varian, I know this will take a while for us to understand each other. We're both still…"
"Damaged?" Varian whispered.
"Healing," he corrected. "We're both still healing. You're right; you're not the same as you used to be, and neither am I. We both have pasts that left a mark on us. We need time to get this right."
"That'll take a while."
Quirin smiled and reached out a hand. Varian didn't pull away this time, letting the calloused palm rest against his cheek. "We've got time."
A soft cry from further inside the ruined village turned their heads. Quirin stood and slid his glove back on. Varian rested his hand on the hilt of his dagger. "Sounds like someone could use some help," he noted, brushing the back of his hand across his eyes.
"Fortunately," Quirin replied with a smile, slowly reaching up a hand to rest on Varian's shoulder, "there's a few knights here. Let's go in and see what we can do."
For the very first time (and probably the last) in my entire writing career, the characters took control of the plot and made it LESS angsty than it was supposed to be. So kudos to them, I guess, for sparing themselves from all the pain I had planned. There was supposed to be a pretty solid QFaD callback here, with Quirin being terribly injured protecting Varian. And they said no, they wanted some father-son bonding time.
If you see any typos, please do let me know. I haven't set up grammarly on my new computer yet.
As always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Thank you and God bless!