Duty

Chapter 80 Casualties of war

Princess Eloni thought her heart stopped when the rider came. The words she had always feared to hear one day, spilling over a messenger's lips. Fallen in battle. A sword to the chest. To the heart. To the back. An arrow to the heart. The eye. The shoulder. Taken captive. Tortured. Maimed.

Any of these possibilities flashed through her mind and blurred together as she watched the rider dismount and approach her father's reception hall.

She dropped the flowers she had been cutting on the front lawn and lifted her skirts to run home in order to hear the news, any news, though she feared the worst.

The rider didn't seem surprised when Eloni came bursting through the door while he was making his report. Everyone that was regular at king Elon's court knew the royal daughters' spirited nature. All five may be different in their own way, but hey all had the same strong personalities and were encouraged to follow their own path in life. For that reason alone, the rider didn't bat an eye, but merely inclined his head as he continued his report. "... sent additional soldiers. And not a moment too soon. Our troops were about to be overrun. Balor is well organized. It seems they've managed to conceal their true numbers for a long time, hiding in the mountains. It is unfortunate we only learned this now. Much could have been prevented."

King Elon nodded grimly. "It is no fault of ours, nor of our allies. Balor has always given us grief. They are mountainfolk and know how to lay traps. If only we'd had more men from the start, but we had to make due."

The rider inclined his head. "Byron and the other injured were transported back to the base camp. Command was handed over to Dunstan and one lord Theron from Zeir. They..."

"Byron was hurt?" Eloni gasped. That fear from earlier returned tenfold and she found it hard to breathed. A sword to the chest. An arrow in the back...

"Princess Eloni," the rider spoke, "he engaged the enemy in battle at our South border when he took a sword to his leg. He kept on fighting until an arow to his shoulder and lower back took him down. We took out the arrows, princess, but his leg wound festered. He was loaded onto a cart and escorted back to our base camp with the other injured."

"But he'll be alright?" Eloni breathed fearfully, "he will live?"

The man lowered his eyes. He understood her worries. Nothing was certain in times of war, and sword wounds were precarious. "I do not have the answers, princess Eloni. Forgive me. I am no physician."

"Father," Eloni turned to the king.

King Elon shook his head gravely. "No child. I know what you want to ask, but I cannot send you into danger. It would mean crossing a battlefield and a mountain range that holds enemies waiting to ambush. You, too, know what Balor does to women they capture. They have physicians in Tirèze. Any number of them will be at the camp, tending to the wounded. Difficult as it may be, I need you to stay here. You have children to think of too. Byron would never approve of you throwing yourself at danger."

"But father," Eloni tried again, "you know the best ointments come from Lavos. We know exactly what herbs to use to make the best healing creams."

"Then send those," king Elon sated firm but kind, "Faolán here will carry back the tinctures and ointments. I'm sure there are other injured that will also benefit from them. Worry not, my dear Eloni, Byron is a strong man. He will not be taken down as easily."

She knew this, of course, but she wanted to be near him and make sure he would be alright. She wouldn't believe it unless she could see with her own eyes.

But she saw reason too. Brynn and Alon were still so young. They needed their mother. Making the medicine would be the best thing she could do. There were still ointments left. She would ask Eloise and Elvira to help her make more to give to Faolán before he left. Her father was right. Others might benefit from them as well. There must be so many wounded. Why had she not thought of this before? It was the only contribution she could make to the war.