Chapter 48

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Chapter 48

                “Master Warren!”  Finn displays a wide, toothy smile as he and his loving wife stride toward the collection of mostly-unbroken tables serving as the war-room, amidst numerous gaping jaws of other Knights and mages.  “A glorious day to you!”

                Jonas holds his mouth open in disbelief, mimicking the expressions of nearly all of his comrades… save for his grinning adoptive grand-daughter, of course.  “Sa… wha… I…”

                The black-haired swordsman chuckles softly as he pulls his mate tightly against his flank.  After she’d procured replacement garments and found a broadsword that he could strap to his back, as well as thieving a doubly-large portion of breakfast, they’d decided to surprise everyone by making a sudden appearance.  It seemed to be having a hilarious effect, too…  “Ah, I know.  I cut my hair the other day.  Shocking, is it not?”

                Angeline snickers at the hearty look of absolute confusion on her commander’s visage, and nuzzles her cheek against the clean leather jerkin bearing the crest of the Aegis.  She had actually preferred his locks a little longer… but, well… they’d have a good respite after all this was over, so…

                “Oh.  Really?”  The wiry Captain raises his brows as he glances to his smiling bride.  “We’ll have to talk about that.  Long follicles rather annoy me while I’m making curatives… ah, you're right.  I could tie it up as before… decent point…”

                The tiny magus slides his gaze from one young Bond to the other, then finally shakes away his temporary awe.  “S-Samuel… you’re… you’re back?  And… alive.”

                Finn offers a playful shrug as he brings up another wry grin.  “No worse for wear, I suppose.  Though I’d like to say that, had someone told me how to slay a Daemon, then I wouldn’t have had to trouble all the good mages who saved my meagre existence…”

                The ancient male’s features go slack for a few moments, then start to pull together into a terse frown.  “Finnigan… but…”

                The blonde arcanist offers her grand-father a giddy giggle as he turns his glare on herself.  “He’s… both.  He’s… Samuel… though with all of Finnigan’s memories…”

                “I, uh…”  raising a hand in the air to capture some attention, the black-haired Duke then offers the on-lookers a pained smile as he clears his throat.  “Everyone?  I, uh… sorry!  I was a bit of an arse the other day… I’d like to say that I wasn’t myself… but… I kinda was.  So… sorry.  Again.  And thank you!  It is warranted.  Patrick?!  If you bloody well make passes at my BOND again, I’ll feed you to the fucking hogs.”

                Jonas feels his fuzzy eyebrows glide up his brow, and draws in a deep breath as the previous hustle and bustle around the command-centre starts to return to it’s previous levels.  “So… you act as Samuel… somewhat… well, that’s good enough for me.  As long as you don’t fully return to that other persona… however…”

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