I don't know

Fear, Regret and Grief

Lysander's POV:

The coordinator stopped talking and began to stutter which made it impossible to understand what he was saying - not that that was necessary anymore.

The moment his back had turned towards the fire the neighing had become louder like it was coming closer. Then horses had begun to run out of the building and suddenly we all were busy trying to get a hold of them. The poor animals were completely panic-stricken which wasn't surürising considering what they had just escaped from - I was just left wondering: How had they escaped? Surely they couldn't all have managed to break their doors at the same time?

All of the horses had ashes and grime in their fell and a few had even come into direct contact with the flames and parts of their fur had burned off, sometimes even leaving ugly burns. Additionally their manes and tails had caught fire and now we had to try and calm down the animals enough to be able to get close enough to them to extinguish the flames with buckets of water - which was impossible as long as they were still running around and kicking out madly. After a few minutes the flow of horses coming out of the building stopped though and I was just about to leave and sent a few other people to help while I continued to search for Kiran.

Just then another figure shot out of the fire though.

In front of the flames a big and rather familiar stallion landed on the ground, bearing a slumped figure on his back. As soon as I caught a glimpse of the sooty but nevertheless still clearly white hair I rushed forwards, my heart pumping like a maniac.

And probably ended up with Kiran in my arms because he let himself fall from Askan's back as soon as I stood next to him - although I wasn't really sure whether he had noticed me or just lost his grip. Immediately my hands moved to his throat to proof his breathing - it was still there, thankfully, although it had taken my shaking hands unusually long to make that observation. I had to suppress an upcoming panic attack because for some reason this situation right now was, in a way, just too much for me.

"Kiran?," I turned him so that I could see his face to which he reacted by groaning and trying to let himself fall back into my arms - I didn't let him.

"Are you alright? Where were you? Before, I mean. Back while we were still travelling. And during the fighting too, Val didn't see you. And why were you in the stables? Did you burn yourself? Does anything-"

"LYS!, "his voice sounded awfully sore but nevertheless determined and sort of amused/annoyed.

"I can't answer a hundred questions at once, deary."

Behind us somebody choked when they heard the informal way in which Kiran addressed me. Not that I cared.

"Right, so, to start at the beginning, I was just with a few other guys I met in the troops a few days ago and that's where I thought I would be during the battle too but we somehow got separated. Anyway, I still survived and after the fight I made my way back and was just on my way to the others because I had been told where our troops would set up the camp. On my way i came upon this burning barn though and since I thought that I heard askan I snuck inside and opened the gates of the stable boxes-"

"So that's why all of them could suddenly flee!"

"Yes, and then I freed Askan and he brought me outside and now here I am."

"Right."

I nodded and tried to swallow down my panic. When it became too much I shot out.

"Did you get hurt though?," I began to search his body for injuries but Kiran pushed my hands away rather fast after glimpsing behind me.

"No, no, I'm fine."

I tried again.

"Are you sure? If you aren't, if you're injured you need to go to a doctor immediately, come on, I'll take you there, I-"