The Majors, Who Let the Demon Out? *under rewrite*

Chapter 7: The Clash of the Great Stags

~Scott~

I landed with a small thud against the ground.

I had left Hyacinth, and the rulers gathered there ages ago, and I had finally arrived back in Rivendale...

The sun had long since set, the stars above twinkling pleasantly. The crescent moon in the sky cast a pale glow over the city, the whitewashed walls practically shining in its light.

I stretched my wings out behind me, hearing a pop and crackle of joints. My shoulder blades ached, and though the flight had been short I was already preparing myself to wake up sore.

I blinked, my vision already bleary from exhaustion...I may be somewhat of a night owl but all the information that I had been forced to process earlier meant an early bedtime (by my standards) for me.

I'm not sure why I hadn't chosen to land directly in front of the doors to the palace, but that just meant a short walk up the hill to the entrance. I jogged quickly up the concrete steps built into the steep side of the small hill the palace was set upon. The path then winded in a curve straight towards the doors.

Without knocking I shoved the doors open, entering the hall.

A small yelp came from the startled maid, the rag in one of her hands falling to the carpeted floor.

"O—Oh— Rìgh Scott, tha thu air tilleadh—" She stuttered, blinking rapidly before quickly composing herself and picking up her dropped item.

(O—Oh— King Scott, you have returned—)

I nodded shortly, folding my hands behind my back as I straightened it, trying to hide my fatigue. "Tha, tha agam. Naidheachd sam bith?" I questioned, internally wincing at how out of breath I sounded.

(Yes, I have. Any news?)

The maid paused for just a moment, one of her ears flicking slightly beneath her thick, pale hair. Then she shook her head. "Chan e, a mhòrachd, cha chreid mi gu bheil gin ann. Chaidh an seòmar agad ullachadh ge-tà ma tha thu airson a dhreuchd a leigeil dheth tràth."

(No, your majesty, I don't believe there is any. Your room has been prepared, however, if you want to retire early.)

"Tapadh leat." I replied, giving the elven woman a short tip of my head, watching as a moment later she had turned to hurry back down the hall, most likely heading to alert the council of my arrival. I stood still for a moment before taking a few short strides towards the stairwell that curved up from the entrance hall, jogging up the steps before arriving on the second floor.

(Thank you.)

I took a right, my footsteps muffled against the carpet lining the center of the passage. I passed no one, most already asleep and finished with their nightly duties.

When I finally came to my room, I slipped in through the door, shutting it behind me.

It was quite modest, the curtains drawn to dissuade any moonlight from pouring into the room. It was small, but tidy, most likely because the servants had come and cleaned while I was gone.

If I was being completely honest, I preferred to do it myself. Made me feel as if I had something to do, not helpless in a way. But tonight I was glad for the extra little unprecedented organization.

I really should have showered considering the back-to-back flights, but I hardly had enough energy to get into bedclothes before I collapsed face first onto my mattress. With my face buried in the sheets I didn't even bother turning off the lamp, letting my body relax as I tried to forget about today's events...