“The Lumbapi I met. He was with Inama and the dragon, got him.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Even though we won, we still lost a lot,” Thomas said.
“Without their sacrifices, we would have no future or freedom,” Anders said.
Thomas watched Anders wave Zahara over. He spoke to her with his mind, leaving Thomas in the awkward silence of guessing at their conversation.
“She’ll take you to Kirsten, Max and Britt,” Anders said, holding out his hand for Thomas to take.
Thomas looked at the wounded surrounding them and said, “They need my help.”
“Don’t worry about them. Maija and I will handle it.”
Thomas took hold of Anders’ hand and let him hoist him onto his shoulder. Climbing Zahara’s side and helping Thomas into the saddle, he said, “There. The saddle’s magic should keep you from falling out.”
“Remember the last time I was on Zahara,” Thomas said nervously. “We thought all of this was coming early,” he motioned to the destruction around them.
“There’s nothing to fear Thomas,” Anders said climbing down to the ground.
“Did you ever decide?” Thomas asked him.
“Decide what?” he replied.
“If you were going to be King?”
Anders combed his hand through his hair and glanced at the ground.
“I take that as a no,” Thomas said.
Anders nodded.
“For what it’s worth, I think you would be a good king, but a better person if there were anyone else who would do as good a job as you.” Thomas watched his cousin slip into thought while Zahara carried him toward his sister.
***
“Over here!” the Rollo Island warrior called out.
Britt followed the calls from the warriors and rounded the street corner. Her gaze fell to the body they were pulling from under the beast. Britt stood over Red’s mangled corpse. It was him, without a doubt. “Bring him back to the ships,” she said. “We’ll send him off as he would’ve wanted, like his father.”
She helped them carry his large-framed body onto the cart of the dead they were hauling along the city streets. Raffagaun had agreed to incinerate any of the dead demons or creatures who they felt didn’t deserve a proper burial.
Why didn’t he leave me to die? Red hated me. What caused him to throw his life away in exchange for mine? Britt wondered. The questions plagued her for the entire walk back toward their ships.
***
In the days that followed their victory, all of those who were physically able to help return the city to a livable state pitched in as a united team. After the dragons burned the bodies of the dead enemies and the bodies of friends and loved ones were retrieved for funerals, all members of their armies worked on the town in a state of mixed emotion. Britt felt it more than most. She was joyful to have lived through the fight and to see their world saved from a most powerful evil, but she felt the deaths of friends weighing on her consciousness. Sanka, Red, and Evans’ deaths were blows to her mental well-being, but Bo was the hardest of them all to overcome.
There had been little time for anyone to think of what their peoples would do next and how the outcome of this world war would affect their politics. Banding together against a common enemy had provided Britt’s nation with a temporary glue, but she wondered how long it would hold. She could feel the tensions among her own people growing and could see it between the elves as well. Their questions regarding who their leader was made finding Red’s body a priority. When he didn’t show up after the fighting had ceased, Britt knew he’d fallen, but the rubble and piles of dead throughout the city were their first order of business. Now that she could confirm to the Rollo people that Red was dead, she wouldn’t have to fight him for her position.
I didn’t want to claim myself as their leader until I knew for sure, she told herself. Maybe he knew I was right after all. That’s why he lured the fairnheir away? Understanding why Red, her enemy and the lead opposition to her leadership, had saved her and Kirsten would remain a question until she could join him in the Great Halls after death.
Britt left the city to find Max and Kirsten waiting for her. When she saw them now, she let go of the resentment she’d had toward Kirsten when she’d pursued Max. Now Britt only felt remorse for her earlier displeasure and shared in the sadness Max and Kirsten were suffering in the loss of brother and companion.
“Was he near that demon?” Kirsten asked.
“Three streets over,” Britt said.
“I would’ve come along, but Anders had me re-treating the crystals. He’s been trying to keep me busy, so I won’t think about it,” Kirsten said. She looked down and Britt knew her pain for Bo was at the front of her mind.
“Did he say anything about the dragons?” Britt asked, trying to keep the focus off of Max’s brother, but Kirsten didn’t reply.
“Only a few made it through. The ones from Nagano fell or fled. Two of the Norfolk riders and three dragons made it through. Hannah and Anders were able to save them,” Max said.
“I still have a hard time believing we’re related,” Kirsten said, shaking her head.
“Well did you see her?” Max replied. “She could be Anders’ twin.”
“I still don’t understand that whole time paradox part,” Britt said, following the cart and leading them south toward the ships.
“Nobody understands what Anders says lately,” Kirsten grumbled.
“From what I understood, it means that more of them will be coming south,” Max said.
“More dragonriders?” Britt asked.
“More Norfolk; I don’t know if there are more riders though,” Max said.
