Maria, Mu, Riya, and Varna had been waiting for Leiko to be capable of leaving the camp, it had been almost an hour. Leiko had been placed in Varna's lap and her arms wrapped around him.
Leiko: I should be okay to move now.
After a few seconds of nothing happening Leiko sighed.
Leiko: That means you need to let me go so I can get up, Varna.
After a moment Varna complied and removed her arms from around him. Leiko stood up and a second later Varna did the same.
Leiko: I'm not made of glass Varna.
Mu couldn't help but laugh a little at that.
Leiko: Wait, why is that funny?
Mu: Sorry, we have someone at the fort that has a similar attitude.
Leiko: Oh?
Maria: We should really get going.
Riya: Right, we need to get back to the fort!
As they began their march Leiko spoke up.
Leiko: Maria, you were the one that gave Zenkoh a way to talk to me before all of this happened and you said you were her friend correct?
Maria: That would be right.
Leiko: Did she have a longsword and a kite shield at any point?
Maria: She did, but that was a long time ago.
Leiko: What did she do with them?
Maria: I know she gave the shield to me but I'm not sure what she did with the longsword. Why?
Leiko: Since I wasn't buried with them my assumption would have to be that she had them.
Maria had a look of surprise.
Maria: Wait, the shield she gave me was yours?
Varna: The longsword and kite shield she had were in fact yours Leiko.
Maria was slightly startled at Varna butting into the conversation.
Maria: Oh? I guess that answers that question.
After a few seconds of silence, Maria looked back at Leiko.
Maria: Is there a reason that it matters?
Leiko: The longsword doesn't matter much more than having sentimental value, the shield on the other hand is special.
Maria: Special how?
Leiko: It would probably be easier to show you.
Maria: That will have to wait until we get to the fort then since it's in my room.
With that Leiko turned to look at Varna.
Leiko: There is something I need to know.
At hearing the tone in his voice Varna slightly looked away from him and had a look of shame on her muzzle.
Leiko: Is what Zenkoh said that you did after I died true?
Varna was quiet for a moment before responding.
Varna: Yes. I just...I just didn't know how to manage without you, so I didn't.
Just as Leiko was about to respond Varna cut him off.
Varna: I regret what I did, but there isn't any way to take it back. Besides, even if I wanted to, Zenkoh wants nothing to do with me.
Her posture had sunk slightly and she had an ever so slight tremble, Leiko could tell she was on the verge of tears. He sighed and shook his head.
Leiko: As long as you truly regret what you did it can still be attempted to be fixed, I'll see what I can do about talking to Zenkoh. She'll want to see me and you're going to be with me, that's all there is to it.
Leiko's expression shifted from soft to serious.
Leiko: But onto more important matters for the here and now, I know who is controlling the Witherlings.
Maria: Who is it?
Leiko: It's Oshka Blightgaze.
Varna's brow furrowed as she had a look of concentration.
Varna: Wait! By Blightgaze you mean...
Leiko: Yes, the clan Blightgaze that we denied help after they had attacked Foxpine and couldn't handle the retaliation. Specifically, Oshka is the old matriarch's daughter.
Mu: Wait, I remember our mother had denied help to a clan Blightgaze as well. She never told us why though.
Riya: If she was denied help all that time ago why is she doing this now?
Leiko: Revenge, she wants revenge on the clans she feels are responsible for her mother's death because they refused to help.
Varna scoffs at that.
Varna: The only reason her mother died was because she stupidly attacked someone without an expectation of retaliation, or in other words being an idiot.
Leiko: Regardless, she is rampaging across the land here for that reason, she has already wiped out several villages on the way up here. That's how she has so many bodies to use for her reanimating magic.
Maria: Wait, but I thought that only Gnolls could be turned into Witherlings.
Leiko: She got hold of some kind of book and In it, one of the things it details is how to convert the bones of the other races into Witherlings.
Maria shivered and shook her head at that.
Maria: Change of topic, Zenkoh told me that you were a mercenary but she never told me what you specialized in. So, what was your specialty?
Leiko had an amused look on his face.
Leiko: She didn't know because I never told her, but to answer your question. I was a mage hunter.
Maria: Wait by mage hunter you mean that you specialized in fighting magic users.
Leiko: Bingo. That was what I was best at, of course, the gear I had helped as well.
Varna snorted at that.
Varna: He could do it perfectly fine naked if he wanted to.
Leiko: You'd like that wouldn't you?
Mu: I really don't want to hear this.
***
A day later they had made it back to Fort Stoneholde and they couldn't see any Witherlings outside or on the walls.
Riya: They must have been able to repel the Witherlings.
Mu: We won't know for sure until we go inside.
After a few seconds, a Gnoll peeked up over the battlements and saw them at the gate. They immediately went over to the gatehouse to let them in, a few minutes later the gate was open and they were inside. They could see the bodies of Witherlings strewn across the courtyard but didn't see any Gnoll bodies.
Riya: I'm going to go check on Rose and Leon.
Mu: Right and I am going to see if anyone can tell me anything important.
***
Riya had made it to Rose's room and could see from the hallway that the door had been busted down. Picking up speed she made her way to the doorway to look inside. In the back corner, Rose was pressing herself to the wall with her arms wrapped around Leon and pressing him into her torso.
Leon: Hi.
Riya had an amused look on her face at seeing that. Looking around the room she could see a few Witherling bodies strewn about.
***
Maria, Leiko, and Varna had made it to Maria's room. Once inside Maria removed the kite shield from the shield mount on the wall.
Maria: I believe you said this is yours.
As soon as he had a hold of it his expression brightened considerably.
Leiko: Yup, this is it.
Maria: So, what is so special about it?
Leiko: Like I said, it would be easier to show you. Seeing as you probably don't want your room destroyed I would suggest we be outside.
Maria had a confused look on her face but did as suggested and they went out to the training yard. Once there Leiko got into a defensive stance and they patted the center of the shield.
Leiko: Right here.
Maria's confusion only deepened. Then she saw Varna preparing a spell. Before Maria could say anything Varna unleashed it in Leiko's direction, and a bolt of green lighting streaked towards him. Then just as the lighting came in contact with the shield it was as if it had never existed.
Maria: What?
Leiko moved his face out from behind the shield.
Leiko: It's an anti-magic shield, cool right?