Kill them All

The Snorcs reached out to their weapons when they heard Dan but it was too late.

The guards were all too eager to kill them all.

It was a massacre.

Dan looked around the hall, confirmed with his own eyes every last snorc was slain.

He looked to Edgar, who was by his side.

" Aye! " Edgar answered, before shouting orders out.

" Clean it up, you little buggers! Every corpse is beheaded, every body is burned. Move it, you great lumps of turd ! " he shouted, and the guards moved quickly to obey.

Today's battle opened their eyes in many ways.

While the north is a little too loyal to Winterchilds, the south has far too many mythical stories about them.

After all, winter childs are the oldest monarchy in the world.

Winterchilds were ruling from strongfort since the time of ten calamities. Some said they could turn into wolves, some said ice followed in their veins instead of blood, yet others say swords of winter childs carry a curse, thus as long as you are marked, you won't live long.

Due to today's battle, the rumors are only going to increase ten fold.

Dan himself went in search of the reaper's body.

Sasha was not the only one rattled by the sound of that horn.

Even he was affected, though not as much as Sasha and Ryan.

He could not allow such a thing to fall into any one's hands.

Today's battle has been enlightening in more ways than one.

Dan realized his honor and forbearance are being taken for weakness. Above all, he realized how stupid it is to hold himself back just to satisfy measly customs set by men whom he doesn't even respect.

Knightly honor is great.

But it is not a necessity for Winterchilds. Their way is survival of themselves, and their people above all, and just due to honor, wasting a chance at it is the stupidest thing one could do.

Dan finally understood what Sasha had been trying to convey to him.

Snorcs could enter winterland, only after they are tamed somewhat.

If you give a begging man five coppers, you will become his savior.

If you give him a gold, you become the man who was so stingy he couldn't give ten golds.

The way he tried to allow snorcs into their lands is akin to giving them gold.

The snorc war bands would have roamed winterland pillaging what they could, destroying what they couldn't, just so the lords and their armies wouldn't have full stomachs to come after him.

No matter how off the course Sasha's decision has been, or how close this battle is, he is sure killing all the Snorcs this time was the correct decision.

The Snorc warriors who came are elite of the elites, and leaders of their own clans. With this, all the stubborn leaders and their nasy followers have died.

It is not that there are no nasty men among the remaining, but there are just enough bands with young leadership to divide and conquer.

The leader of Thors is a young man, called Serne, son of the current Thor warlord.

He is a boy of sixteen, and half worshipped Dan.

If he convinced Thors to ally themselves with the frontier guard, even if they do not surrender to the Winterchild family, it's a great blow in the face of Snorc alliance.

There!

Dan found the body of the reaper.

He was still holding the horn tightly.

Dan bent down, and took the horn into his own hands.

It's a strangely beautiful contraption, carved to such perfection, one couldn't believe such a beautiful artifact came from the wild land of the frontier.

He put it in his waist pocket. The Horn is not leaving his body from now on even for a minute.

He knew the Snorcs would be monitoring through soul fiers. Even if they did not do reconnaissance throughout the battle, they will definitely do it before and after the battle.

Now, only fighters of the clans were left. The saying Snorcs are free from deceit and authority is not entirely true.

Sure, the strong will survive at the end, but one can not be fighting for survival all the time. So, politics do exist, but they are very rudimentary and straight forward amongst Snorcs.

Since the advance party that's supposed to triumph with great victory is decimated with such brutality, their thoughts would have changed by now.

What they had is flimsy loyalty to each other owing to a common problem, not the camaraderie or trust built through years.

It has taken his own sister falling at the hands of Snorcs for him to realize the hatred of the lords will not be let go easily.

Dan looked around. The frontier guards are exhausted, but they are doing alright. Seeing that they could continue working without orders, Dan left upstairs to check on Ryan and Sasha.

The first one he checked on is Ryan, as sunshine whined and pulled him.

When he went into the room, Ryan just awoke.

"Dan! " he exclaimed in surprise.

"Sasha ! Sasha ! He was going to kill Sasha! " Ryan gestured frantically, as if he has seen the scene earlier with his own eyes.

"Sasha is alright, Ryan." Dan assured him, trying to prevent his brother from falling down.

Ryan did not register his words for some time. He stopped trying to get off the bed when he understood the words.

"She's alright ? " He asked, like a little child desperately in need of assurance.

"Yes, she is. I slew the man trying to kill her." Dan reassured Ryan.

"Not all of them." Ryan said sadly, then he settled into his bed.

Dan stroked his head in response, wondering how could Ryan know anything about men who tried to kill Sasha.

"Dan! There is something I must speak with you. It's a long story. " Ryan said seriously.

Dan gave him a patronizing smile, as he tucked in his brother.

"Take rest. You have had a shock, and it's not very good to stress your body so much. You can tell me just as well tomorrow." Dan said, tucking in Ryan.

"No, it's about your mom. I must tell you now. " Ryan insisted.

" Ryan!!! " Dan's rebuke fell sharply.

" I must tell you now. Your mother is Lydia winterchild. Your father is from beyond the smoking sea. You are my cousin, not brother." Ryan said, the next moment, his eyes rolled back.

His body started shaking as if having an epileptic fit, his fingers bending in unnatural shape, his teeth almost biting off his tongue.

Dan forcefully opened Ryan's mouth, and inserted his leather whip there to stop him from biting his own tongue.

Sunshine whined in the corner, it's eyes going from glistening yellow gray to blue gray.

None noticed the difference.

Ryan fell into a coma, his epileptic fit abating in severity.

Dan sent for the healer of castle one. Fortunately, it seems Ryan has passed the dangerous stage. His body is just tired, and a good rest will fix everything.

It is only after making sure Ryan is not in danger in any manner he was able to leave the room.

Sunshine recovered while he was occupied with Ryan.

He followed Dan into Sasha's room.

Valerie is in the bed allocated to Sasha.

While Sasha is on the rush in front of the fireplace, like a little maid fixing the fire every time it goes out. That is, if one does not notice her beauty.

Her red hair spilled like a river of fire, she curled into herself despite the heat.

Dan is glad to see she is not sick in any way physically.

Wounds made on her heart could be healed another day.

Sunshine hobbled into the room, and curled up at Sasha's feet. However, the wolf was so big, it's head came to Sasha's waist.

Sasha's hands automatically fell on sunshine's head. As she petted the wolf unconsciously, Sasha relaxed automatically. Her furrowed brows unfurled, her legs straightened.

He returned to the same room in plain clothes after showering. He settled on the other side of Sasha, with his sword right beside him. Sasha seemed to know and respond to his presence even while asleep.

Her posture turned completely straight, her hands settling for holding Dan's.

Thats how they slept, a man holding a sword in his left hand, a woman's hand in his right, the woman, her left hand holding the man as if he might escape, while her right hand is fished in the hair of a wolf, the wolf, it's tail wrapped around the couple's legs, as it's tying them up.

Another woman with a wounded abdomen slept blissfully on the bed.

Dan did not care what anyone who saw them would think. Even fastidious Sasha will not stop him from sleeping beside her for tonight, after the battle.

At this time, they did not know how thoroughly they clipped the fangs of the Snorcs.

Nor did they know what kind of ripples this battle would cause for themselves.