said.
Rika nodded. "That's what Connal said."
"Have you bonded it?"
"Not yet. I'm not sure I want to crawl around in its head." Rika lit the lamp hanging from his fingers before waving out the match.
"Thanks." He stepped forward and the wooden floor groaned under his weight.
Rika moved in behind him keeping her hand tucked inside his belt.
He paused at the second stable and brought the light around to shine on its occupant.
The detention shield vibrated with a low comforting hum. Inside its restrictive wall a baerinese soldier sat atop a bale of hay with arms folding. The baerinese man expressed no fear or even mild concern. Rather, curiosity filled the soldier's eyes.
Without taking his eyes from the soldier he spoke. "Can he understand us?"
"I don't know," Rika said. "Your father tried to speak with him. Either he doesn't understand or doesn't want to talk."
He stepped forward and stopped inches from the shield's thin barrier. "What's your name?" He waited a moment for the soldier to respond.
The soldier stared ahead ignoring him.
"Your name is General Demos, isn't it? I remember you from Porthleven." He narrowed his eyes and anger welled inside him. "With the witch."
General Demos flinched.
A nearly imperceptible motion, but he'd noticed. "He understands."
Behind him, the stable door swung open. Spirit shields surrounded a pair of knights.
He swiveled and faced the pair.
The knights froze and stared wide-eyed at him and Rika standing before General Demos.
A lean shield knight stepped forward and stumbled over a nearby pitchfork. "Your Majesty. I didn't — that is — had I known you were awake."
The shield knight had finished two years ahead of him at the citadel. "Evening Alex."
The shield knight blushed and the second soldier, a battle knight, came up beside the first. The battle knight dropped to a knee and bowed low before him. "Forgive us, Your Majesty. Had we known Lady Rika was in the stable, we never would have left the creature alone with her."
Rika's eyes narrowed and her mouth opened as if to speak.
He half-smiled and raised his hand cutting Rika off. "Lady Rika can handle the draco better than any man in camp," he said. "And for Elan's sake, stand up Luke. This isn't the royal palace."
Luke stood and brushed errant strands of hay from his leggings. "No sir. I didn't mean the draco." The battle knight pointed toward General Demos. "I meant that creature. It's not fit to be near Lady Rika."
Alex brushed past Luke and paused outside General Demos's stable. "I'll check the shield Your Majesty. No need for you to fuss with it." Alex waved a hand and the detention shield flickered.
"Has he eaten?" He said.
"Who do you mean Your Majesty? Are you speaking of Alex?" The battle knight’s brow furrowed. "We both ate not thirty minutes ago."
Alex nodded as if satisfied with the shield's strength.
He shook his head. "No. I meant the baerinese...man. Has he had a meal or anything to drink since his capture?"
Luke and Alex exchanged a nervous glance before Alex spoke. "No sir. We weren't sure what to feed it."
"What did you two eat for supper?" He said.
"Mutton stew and fresh bread," Luke said.
"That sounds fine. Why don't you fix him a tray and bring it here," he said. "He needs to keep his strength if he's to answer any questions."
"Yes sir. We'll be back in a few minutes." Luke pulled Alex's sleeve and the knight's made their way from the stable. They closed the door behind them.
Rika glared at General Demos who hadn't moved from the hay bale. "He doesn't deserve a meal Ronan. Not after what happened in Porthleven."
He understood Rika's fury, but he wouldn't treat the baerinese general like an animal. If he stood behind the detention shield, he would expect fair treatment. "Torturing him won't make the Porthleven dead come back to life. We're not barbarians."
Rika's jaw clenched shut.
"Let's see about this draco." He walked past General Demos and stopped before the stable's largest
Rika nodded. "That's what Connal said."
"Have you bonded it?"
"Not yet. I'm not sure I want to crawl around in its head." Rika lit the lamp hanging from his fingers before waving out the match.
"Thanks." He stepped forward and the wooden floor groaned under his weight.
Rika moved in behind him keeping her hand tucked inside his belt.
He paused at the second stable and brought the light around to shine on its occupant.
The detention shield vibrated with a low comforting hum. Inside its restrictive wall a baerinese soldier sat atop a bale of hay with arms folding. The baerinese man expressed no fear or even mild concern. Rather, curiosity filled the soldier's eyes.
Without taking his eyes from the soldier he spoke. "Can he understand us?"
"I don't know," Rika said. "Your father tried to speak with him. Either he doesn't understand or doesn't want to talk."
He stepped forward and stopped inches from the shield's thin barrier. "What's your name?" He waited a moment for the soldier to respond.
The soldier stared ahead ignoring him.
"Your name is General Demos, isn't it? I remember you from Porthleven." He narrowed his eyes and anger welled inside him. "With the witch."
General Demos flinched.
A nearly imperceptible motion, but he'd noticed. "He understands."
Behind him, the stable door swung open. Spirit shields surrounded a pair of knights.
He swiveled and faced the pair.
The knights froze and stared wide-eyed at him and Rika standing before General Demos.
A lean shield knight stepped forward and stumbled over a nearby pitchfork. "Your Majesty. I didn't — that is — had I known you were awake."
The shield knight had finished two years ahead of him at the citadel. "Evening Alex."
The shield knight blushed and the second soldier, a battle knight, came up beside the first. The battle knight dropped to a knee and bowed low before him. "Forgive us, Your Majesty. Had we known Lady Rika was in the stable, we never would have left the creature alone with her."
Rika's eyes narrowed and her mouth opened as if to speak.
He half-smiled and raised his hand cutting Rika off. "Lady Rika can handle the draco better than any man in camp," he said. "And for Elan's sake, stand up Luke. This isn't the royal palace."
Luke stood and brushed errant strands of hay from his leggings. "No sir. I didn't mean the draco." The battle knight pointed toward General Demos. "I meant that creature. It's not fit to be near Lady Rika."
Alex brushed past Luke and paused outside General Demos's stable. "I'll check the shield Your Majesty. No need for you to fuss with it." Alex waved a hand and the detention shield flickered.
"Has he eaten?" He said.
"Who do you mean Your Majesty? Are you speaking of Alex?" The battle knight’s brow furrowed. "We both ate not thirty minutes ago."
Alex nodded as if satisfied with the shield's strength.
He shook his head. "No. I meant the baerinese...man. Has he had a meal or anything to drink since his capture?"
Luke and Alex exchanged a nervous glance before Alex spoke. "No sir. We weren't sure what to feed it."
"What did you two eat for supper?" He said.
"Mutton stew and fresh bread," Luke said.
"That sounds fine. Why don't you fix him a tray and bring it here," he said. "He needs to keep his strength if he's to answer any questions."
"Yes sir. We'll be back in a few minutes." Luke pulled Alex's sleeve and the knight's made their way from the stable. They closed the door behind them.
Rika glared at General Demos who hadn't moved from the hay bale. "He doesn't deserve a meal Ronan. Not after what happened in Porthleven."
He understood Rika's fury, but he wouldn't treat the baerinese general like an animal. If he stood behind the detention shield, he would expect fair treatment. "Torturing him won't make the Porthleven dead come back to life. We're not barbarians."
Rika's jaw clenched shut.
"Let's see about this draco." He walked past General Demos and stopped before the stable's largest
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