In Search of You

Chapter 10

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CHAPTER 10

 

Quil stepped out of his tent and into the early night. He greeted Avis and Griselda, who were standing guard outside the entrance. They were two of his five honor guards, as well as his closest friends. They had volunteered to guard the tent, a request to which Quil immediately agreed to. He needed somebody he could trust with his life to guard Astrid.

“Eion, how is the girl?” Avis asked, his voice laced with concern. The man was a foot taller than Quil. His head was shaved bald, which only emphasized the rough, brutish facial features he possessed. His strong, square jaw sat atop a tree-trunk of a neck, which in turn connected his head to a body that could rival a Nahasin tribesman in terms of size. His hands rested on the handle of his beloved battle axe, which he fondly called Tamis, while its wicked blades were planted on the ground in front of him. Avis made for a very intimidating guard, which was exactly what Quil wanted.

“Astrid will survive. The wounds and the broken ribs were already tended to by the healer.” Quil replied.

“That was quite the fall she took,” Griselda chimed in. “She’s lucky she got away with her life after angering a danore, all things considered.” While Avis was built for power, Griselda was built for speed. She stood only up to Quil’s chest, and her small, slender body betrayed her status as one of the deadliest warriors in the tribe. While Avis can cave in a man’s face with a single punch, Griselda could take out an opponent’s eyes before he could even blink. She held no weapon, but underneath her cloak, leather travelling jacket, shirt, trousers, and boots, Quil knew she was armed to the teeth. Astrid was completely safe under the watch of these two.

“What do you two think about what transpired today? Honest words, friends.” Quil inquired. He needed to hear what the others think given he hadn’t had time to assess how the event was taken by the retinue. He knew that they were talking in hushed tones, but he needed to know exactly what they were saying. If he doesn’t address this now, things were going to get out of hand at the village.

“What happened today was definitely a first, Eion. A danore choosing its rider? Unheard of. What happened to Astrid was the culmination of events nobody around was prepared for.” Avis said, thoughtful as he rubbed the stubble on his chin. Despite his appearance, Avis possessed a mind as sharp as his axe, and Quil had seen that axe cut down a tree in five clean strokes.

“I remember my first time with Thalass. That little brat cut me in a hundred different places before I bested him into submission. And that was with almost a year of preparation on my part. Astrid had, what, five minutes to get ready?” Griselda said. Thalass, who was covered with sharp thorns instead of scales and second only to Keesh in size, was Griselda’s danore. “I’m sorry, Eion, but the moment I saw her get on that danore I knew it couldn’t end well. But what could we have done? Like Avis said, this hasn’t happened ever before, not since the Alliance was made with the danores. We were about as prepared as Astrid was in dealing with the situation.” She added.

Quil nodded. He had already thought of all of these things inside the tent, and hearing his friends come up with the same argument helped him feel better. “But still, I feel like I could’ve done something.”

Griselda grabbed Quil’s arm and made him look at her. “Quil. None of that. What’s done is done,” she said sternly. Avis grunted in agreement. Quil let out a sigh of surrender.

“Who’s patrolling the back of the tent?” Quil resumed as Griselda let go of his arm. He straightened his back and raised his chin.

“Arland is, Eion.” Avis replied, slipping back into formality. They were still friends, but Quil was their king, first and foremost. Thankfully, they had gotten used to addressing Quil as Eion without much of a fuss.