Hakon still had a long way to go in his journey— they all did— but Herrick was proud to call him his brother.
Opposite the field, Baldr still worked to keep soldiers away from them, but the fewer there were, the more Helvig seemed to want to rush forward and finish the fight. Herrick could see him arguing with Baldr, the horse he sat atop whinnying from the excited energy his rider was experiencing.
Eventually, Baldr seemed to be out of arguments, though, because he gave Herrick a look of weary caution. With one hand, he waved them off, the desperation in his eyes clear even from across the battlefield.
But it was too late; they had already come this far. He would not back down now in the face of his continent's greatest threat.
"Til Valhalla, brother," Hakon grunted, his breaths coming faster and faster as his exhaustion started to take hold.
Before he could respond, Herrick saw the blade aiming for his brother's neck. He was too far to get to him in time; he flung out a rope of earth at the soldier swinging the death sentence but missed. He shouted a warning to Hakon to get out of the way, but no matter how many times he tried to find a way out for his brother, it was too late.
Hakon turned, the flash of the sword in his periphery catching his eye. Except he didn't look death in the eye; he faced his brother instead. Indigo eyes filled with acceptance held his while all he could do was wait for the sound of flesh severing.
Only it never came.
Herrick glanced at Baldr, unsure why his attention was brought to his sworn enemy despite his reluctant acceptance of his help. In the silver and grey shade of the spy-turned-Flame General's eyes, there was a slight widening of panic as he watched Hakon about to meet his death. Herrick would catalog the strange reaction to evaluate later because as soon as he turned his attention back to his brother, the loudthunkof metal on wood resounded around them as Hakon was thrown to the ground.
Standing where his brother had been was their father, his two-handed axe holding off the Flame Soldier's sword by the smooth wooden handle. Before Herrick could react, his mother snuck under the upheld weapons and stabbed her sword up into the chest of the soldier who had almost taken Hakon's life.
She kicked the dead man off her blade as members of their guard flooded into the fight. His mother rushed to Herrick's side as their father helped Hakon off the ground, both pulling them out of the way of the fighting back toward the city.
"Mother, what in Odin's name are you doing out here?" Herrick asked, his jaw slack as she continued to pull him away from the fighting with a strength he didn't know she possessed.
"You have forgotten, my sons," she said with a smirk. "That I was also a warrior before I was Queen. I had the same training as you both."
"Why do you think she wins all of our disagreements?" Father snorted as he ran behind them, his attention split between them and glancing over his shoulder to see if they were followed.
The clang of fighting grew further and further away the faster their parents hurried them through the deserted streets of Veter. All around them, the once lively city where their citizens had lived happily and peacefully was silent except for the sound of their footsteps on cobblestones. Soon, they reached the false shop front that housed the tunnels Mother and Grandfather had created all those years ago.
They entered the small space, finding Bryn and Dahlia waiting by the entrance of the tunnel. The Elven looked healthier, her skin less pale than when she'd been on the field. Though her cut remained, the bleeding had stopped and she was being bandaged up by one of the Elven soldiers. Bryn nodded to them as they entered before she continued pacing, her nervous energy filling the room.
"Ships from the Kingdom of Shadows of all places arrived about an hour ago after taking out the small Flame fleet that had parked itself on our shores," Father said, his eyebrow raising as he looked over Dahlia and the other soldiers. The female's glamour had disappeared when the Flame Soldiers blade had cut her— hergaldermoving to healing her rather than hiding her.
"It wasn't our secret to tell," Hakon replied as he moved to crouch onto one knee in front of her, taking over the wrapping of her shoulder.
Herrick nodded in agreement while looking over to Bryn. Since Maude couldn't speak for herself, her sister would have to explain.
Bryn rolled her eyes but turned to face his parents. "Maude is my half-sister. It turns out our mother had fallen in love with the King of Shadows, Aeric, before going to Logi. She managed to pass off Maude as Helvig's daughter, but she isn't. She is half Elven and the Heir of Shadows. Aeric agreed to aid us in this fight against Helvig, which is why Liv and Gunnar helped guide his fleet and army here."
The explanation was succinct and covered all the important information even if it left out a lot of their story. He was sure that Bryn wasn't comfortable with telling Maude's story for her, but there was no other way to explain the presence of the Elven.
"Leave it to Sylvi to find a way to bring the Elven out of hiding," Mother sighed as she shook her head, a small smile appearing on her face.
Bryn went to say something in defense of her mother, but his mother spoke instead. "I only mean that if anyone could do it, it was your mother. I'm glad she found love after everything she sacrificed for our kingdom."
Satisfied, Bryn nodded, but her face hardened slightly before turning away. His mother stepped forward, grasping her hand and pulling her back to face her before brushing her knuckles over the Helvig Heir's cheek.
"And even if your conception was not born of passionate love, Sylvi loved you just as much. She wrote to me about youboth, and she saw so much of herself in you, Brynna. Go on knowing that even if your father is who he is, you are your mother's daughter first, and that makes you part of this kingdom as well. You will always have a home in the Kingdom of Rivers."
Maude's sister looked small for the first time since Herrick knew her as his mother hugged her tightly.
When she finally released her, his mother said, "Now go; Liv and Gunnar are waiting for you at the end of these tunnels to take you aboard the King of Shadows' ship. We need to speak with our children."
Bryn nodded as she moved to help Dahlia to her feet. Before they disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel, the Elven turned and said to his parents, "May the gods favor you in battle, Your Majesties."
She was gone before they could respond.
Instead, they turned to Herrick and Hakon. Father pulled him in, crushing him to his chest like he was a young boy again. When he released him, he was enveloped by his mother while Hakon was pulled into their father's embrace.
