Exhausted

Nine soldiers stood in a half-circle around what seemed to be a miracle. Jack had rinsed and bandaged most of Katherine's wounds himself, his calloused hands unusually gentle. He wanted to at least stop the blood flow. However, the bandages didn't even seem to be necessary, as the injuries very slowly started to mend themselves.

Jack had not allowed the other soldiers to see their Lady in this precarious situation. They had to stand with their back to her, even after Jack wrapped his jacket around her that was nearly as long as she was. With worry he noticed how cold she was, and thinking of the long way back, he commanded two other soldiers to give their jackets. They complied willingly.

Wrapped in all those big coats, Katherine looked even more like a child. Jack checked her breathing for a second time. It had become more even with time. Very carefully, he picked her up. Though she was healing herself, she was still unconsciousness. Maybe it was better this way, as she wouldn't feel the pain. However, it also made him unsure of how good she was actually doing. Magic wasn't endless. He should better bring her to a doctor. And he also had to meet up with the Earl - ah, Prince.

Thinking about how the Prince would react to the Lady's condition, made him shudder. Still, he would take all responsibility. If only he had been faster, Lady Katherine wouldn't be hurt this badly.

The soldiers were silent on their way back to the horses. The group with the prisoners had somehow found a way to the other road and were waiting for them there. There was also a new face, a messenger of Prince Nathaniel.

Reading the letter, Jack's face got darker and darker. Finally, he cursed. The King was vitally hurt, and they needed Katherine there to heal him fast. But for all he could say, Katherine wouldn't be able to heal anyone but herself in due time. However, the commands were clear: he had to bring her to the Prince as fast as possible. Hopefully, her magic would heal her until then. If not, it was not only her life that was in danger, but the whole country.

.

Some kilometers away, two groups of people raced over grassland, the hoves of horses drumming the ground. Some of them had capes fluttering in the wind, some were just dark shadows on equally dark horses. While the first group was unassuming from far away, the silvery armor of the second glowed under the moonlight. They had no reason to hide, as they were the city guards of the capital.

However, the heavy armor wasn't beneficial in this situation. The gap between the two groups got bigger and bigger as time went on. After about an hour, the second group lost sight of the first, and reluctantly turned back.

Despite this, the young men at the spear tip of the first group didn't slow the tempo for another ten minutes. Only then did they allow the horses and soldiers to relax a bit, continuing in a slower trot.

Though there was a nightly chill in the air, horses and men alike were sweating. Some of the latter even let out a relieved groan or gasped for air while pressing their hands on body parts where a dark fluid seeped through their closes. The fast escape had opened up many of their wounds.

Though he didn't gasp or groan, it was the same for Nathaniel. He was only moving on willpower now, his side arching with a sharp pain. Still not fully recovered, the escape out of the city and the fight in the underground lab was about all his body could take. He wasn't even sure if he could stand if he dismounted. However, in front of his brother and the soldiers, he would not allow himself to show any weakness.

His back was straight and gaze as emotionless as ever. The confusion he showed in the lab was gone, his thoughts focused on the present. He had to keep these soldiers moving, or else it would be even harder to start riding anew again. At least, they had found a place to hide the experimental subjects, though that held them back further. None of the subjects would have survived the chase. Now, his soldiers didn't have the luxury of time, since they had to be at the meeting point before the king died.

"How do you think Dad is doing?", Aston asked just in time from beside him. Even with this few light, Nathaniel could see his blue eyes filled with worry and fear. Looking at Aston's feats today, it was easy to forget that he was only a fifteen-year-old boy who had never been to a real battlefield. He didn't know death like Nathaniel did. And he was afraid to lose those dear to him, especially since they weren't on time anymore. The meeting should have been at sunset. Now, night had already fallen.

"Do you...", Aston hesitated. "Do you think he is already -"

"He won't die this easily", Nathaniel kept him from speaking it out loud, though he wasn't sure himself. "Anyway, the one who needs to get there is Katherine. She is the only one who can save his life."

Though his principles told him that, he worried much more about her than about the King, despite the fact that the latter's death would lead to a tragedy for the kingdom. He might feel obligated to save him, but there was neither the guilt nor the fear, the indescribable dread, he felt when he thought of Katherine's disappearance.

Gently touching the ring on his hand, he prayed for her to be alright. It might be pointless anxiety, but with every hour they were apart, a feeling of impending doom grew in his chest. The message from Sam earlier had only brought short relief.

Now, Sam sped up his horse to ride next to him. On his left arm sat a falcon, sleepily putting his head under his wing. Sam looked just as exhausted as the bird.

"I'm too old for this stuff", he grumbled, before giving Nathaniel the note the falcon had brought. "From Lady Orchid."

With a glance at the paper, Nathaniel frowned, then turned to Aston. "They were held up, too. The King's condition is deteriorating, but he isn't dead yet. Your mother requests our aid to block off some pursuers. I guess they didn't get as easily out of the capital as she thought. We need to hurry."

Concerned, Aston glanced back at the exhausted soldiers that had hardly gotten any better. "Will they be able to make it?"

Nathaniel's gaze was cold and hard as stone. "They will do what they have to."

The frown on Aston's forehead deepened as he looked back and forth between Nathaniel and his soldiers. Though he was keeping his head high, Aston had seen Nathaniel's wounds, and he also saw the blood seeping down his side now. "And you?"

"Stop asking dumb questions, we aren't spoilt brats like you", came the rather vicious return. Obviously, Nathaniel's friendliness was used up for today.

With a jerk of his reins, he turned the horse to face the men behind them and raised his voice. "We got called to help the king in danger. The survival of this country rests on our shoulders."

His cold gaze met every one of the tired soldier's without mercy. "I don't want to see anyone fall behind, or he will be left just there and die on his own. Now, advance!"