Fieran’s feet dragged still further. He should have expected to find his dacha waiting for him, especially after a long mission like that. A little bit of hovering by his dacha was rather expected after his crash.
He halted in front of his dacha and just stood there, silent, for a long moment.
Dacha, too, didn’t break the silence, merely regarding Fieran with the too knowing gaze of a warrior who had seen too many battles and lost too many of his fellow warriors on his watch.
Finally Fieran released a breath. “We lost a pilot. A friend. Pretty Face. He isn’t dead, but…”
Dacha tipped his head, something of recognition in his eyes as he looked away from Fieran for a moment. “I am sorry, sason.”
Fieran swallowed and nodded, but he couldn’t find the words for any more than that. But this was his dacha. Communicating without words was his thing.
Was there something Fieran could have done differently that day? Perhaps he should have sent Pretty Face after Lt. Blair and gone to help Stickyfingers. But then Lt. Blair and Pretty Facemight have been ambushed. Likely one or both of them would have crashed. Or he could have simply let Lt. Blair fly to her death and focused on protecting the rest of the squadron.
No matter what choice he’d made, he would have lost someone that day.
Dacha reached out and rested his hand on Fieran’s shoulder briefly before he turned and strode away through the hangar.
After gathering himself, Fieran stepped into the hangar as well. Lt. Rothilion stood only a few feet inside, as if waiting for him. When Fieran headed for where Lt. Blair stood, alone, in the empty space of the hangar, Lt. Rothilion followed, not speaking.
Fieran halted before Lt. Blair, and her shoulders remained somewhat hunched even as she came to attention. “Lt. Blair, you left your wingman in the middle of a battle and because of that action, one of our own is now fighting to survive somewhere in Mongavaria.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I was so focused, and the enemy was right there, and I thought if I could just chase them down for another minute, but then…” She shuddered, and tears welled in her dark eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
Great. Now she was crying. How was he supposed to give her a proper reprimand when she was crying?
She sniffled and seemed to be trying to pull herself together. “I understand what you meant about being green. I didn’t think I would react like that. But then…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t let it happen again.” Fieran waited one more moment before he let his tone and posture soften. He waved to where Stickyfingers, Tiny, Murray, Lije, and many of the others had gathered. “Go on. Join the rest of the squadron.”
“They won’t want to talk to me. They’ll blame me for…for what happened.” Now that he’d essentially dismissed her to stand at ease, she wrapped her arms over her stomach. Herstraight, dark brown hair had partially fallen from its bun to straggle around her face.
“They might. For a few minutes. But we’ve all done something reckless our first few battles.” Fieran didn’t think she would’ve been able to hear the soft snort Lt. Rothilion gave behind him at that.
Lt. Blair hesitated another moment before she bobbed her head to him and made her shuffling way over to the others. They parted for her, but the moment she began speaking with more tears pouring down her face, Stickyfingers and Lije stepped closer, likely saying something comforting.
Lt. Rothilion strode to Fieran’s side. “You have come a long way, Capt. Laesornysh.”
“It used to be you giving me a dressing down for being reckless.” Fieran sighed and shook his head. Perhaps if he’d learned his lesson sooner, Merrik wouldn’t have crashed and lost his leg.
“Yes.” Lt. Rothilion tilted his head. “Your arrogance was in your own abilities and your belief that you and only you had the capacity to gain the victory. You were reckless when you believed that recklessness would save lives. Neither your arrogance nor your recklessness was for your own advancement but rather for the good of others. That made it understandable, even if it needed to be tempered with wisdom.”
The words settled deep inside him. He hadn’t liked the parallels he saw between himself and Lt. Blair, but at least he could depend on Lt. Rothilion to tell him the truth.
Fieran worked up a smile, even though it still felt out of place after the events of the day. “That almost sounded like a compliment, Rothilion.”
“Do not let it go to your head.” Lt. Rothilion gave another tip of his head, even as his mouth curved with a hint of a smile. “You are finally becoming tolerable.”
“Tolerable. Really. I knew we were friends.” Fieran clapped Lt. Rothilion on the back.
Rothilion stiffened, though he didn’t shy away from the gesture. It was more as if he didn’t know how to respond to the very human gesture. “Do not push it, Laesornysh.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Fieran gave Rothilion one more slap on the back before he stepped away.
The joking words weren’t like Rothilion, but perhaps he’d known Fieran had needed the bit of levity after Pretty Face’s crash.
His smile faded a moment later as he made his way through the hangar to report to Colonel Dentley. After that, he’d have to face the rest of the squadron as they processed Pretty Face’s loss.
Pip meanderedbetween the various clusters of flyboys, flygirls, and elves sitting on chairs or on the floor of Hangar Bay 4. She paused at each group to ask if they needed anything.
