The Clash of Land and Sea.

Chapter Eight, part A

The elves had taken Aelfrie's body away; to prepare a place for him amongst his ancestors. Kirin would not leave her father's side but the elves had to help her walk in her condition. Hayden and the others flew back to Feren; there was nothing left for them to do on top of Out Post.

So what happens now? Hayden wondered. Draek did not answer his question because he did not know. We have attacked and killed Metallic Riders; they will come for us again.  Hayden didn't know if Elizabeth The Gold knew what had happened yet but he was sure she would find out.

The dragons landed in Feren to a crowd of elves awaiting them. The elves helped Hayden and the others down off their dragons. As soon as they were off their dragons the elves made a circle around them and silently stared at the riders. Hayden didn't know what was about to happen but he was sure he wanted to be in his saddle on top of Draek.

Finally, a lone elf stepped forward. Hayden wasn't sure how old she was but he from the white in her hair and the wrinkles on her skin he could tell she had seen many seasons pass. The woman stepped closer to Hayden, who standing in between her and Cass and Shane. She got within arm's reach of Hayden and stopped. She raised her right hand as if to slap Hayden but instead she placed it gently on his face.

"Thank you." Was all she said. She stepped to Shane and Cass and repeated the process then she made her way over to their dragons to start pulling their saddles off. By the time she made it to Draek tears were flowing freely down her face.

Before Hayden had time to react to her the elves of Feren surged forward. Each elf taking its time to say thank you to each of the riders in person as they moved to help clean the wounds of their dragons.

Some cried while saying thank you while others were crying before they made it to Hayden.

I don't understand, why are they thanking us? It's because of us that Aelfrie is dead. Hayden was almost too shocked by the elves to ask Draek with his mind.

It is because their king is dead and we avenged him. They are heartbroken and distraught by their loss, but there are also grateful.

Hayden and the others made their way back to their huts, leaving their dragons in the care of the elves. Hayden did not wait to see what the others were going to do; instead he silently pushed his way into his hut. As he became engulfed in the darkness of his tent the emotions that Hayden had kept bottled out came rushing out all at once.

Hayden fell to his knees and began to weep. He struggled to breathe as the ache that gripped his heart squeezed harder and harder till his muscles began to cramp. Hayden felt his body begin to rock back and forth as he knelt in the center of his small, damp hut.

Hayden had yet to put his helmet back on ever since he had gotten it back from Kraten. He stared at his eagle helmet and remembered what he had thought a Metallic Rider had stood for once. What he thought he had trained so hard for.

Hayden threw his helmet as hard as he could, bouncing it off the side of the hut before it shot outside and clanked off in the distance. Hayden bowed until his head lay in his empty hands. Draek was ever present in his mind but neither of them said anything to one another, there was nothing left to say.