Chương 137: Chapter 135- Departure

Elias and Darian followed the messenger as she led them back to the recovery wing of the garrison and, as he followed the wriggling knot of nervous excitement on the other end of the tether, Eli could not help but smile. As they crossed the larger courtyard, Eli caught a flash of emerald scales over the fence surrounding the stableyard and Eli let out a sharp whistle, waving Tia over as she craned her head over the fence.

The scrabbling of claws on cobblestones alerted him to her arrival as she scampered over to join them. What's wrong, I still haven't finished my mission to help glowing-two-legs with brushing down the bluffbacks. Elias rolled his eyes, " I thought we were past this, her name is Astrid and I know you know it by now, plus I have a more important mission for you."

Tia let out a disgruntled huffing snort, an oddly resonant sound given her draconic nature and powerful lungs, one that would have been more intimidating except for the fact that her head barely reached his waist. Brother, you are the only one who can hear me, and all you two-legs have way too many names to remember. Eli smirked, " Are you sure I'm the only one? I did say I had a new mission for you, it seems Mira is awake and I'm sure she could use a proper welcome back to the world of the living."

His smirk bubbled up into a hearty chuckle as her wings shot open as she practically quivered in place for a moment before tearing off down the hallway as she raced towards Mira's room. Astra must have taken off through the building in much the same way, as both her and Tia had beaten them there by several minutes.

As he stepped through the doorway Eli grinned as he spotted Astra, clearly trying to restrain her enthusiasm as she knelt at Mira's bedside holding one hand, glaring at Tia who was showing exactly zero restraint as she had launched herself bodily into Mira's bed. She was currently trampling all over the poor woman as she danced around excitedly, her incoherent babbling was reserved just for Eli, as her squealing whines echoed around the room for everyone else.

Before he could even start himself, Astra had begun scolding the excitable beast as they arrived, " … now! If you do not calm down and stop trampling all over her, you are going to hurt Mira even further…" Chastised, Tia stilled her squirming as she gave Astra her best pair of 'puppy eyes', her unheard mental tirade not stopping for a single moment. …

and I came everyday, but first I made sure that fruitbringer-Cooper only put the best cuts of meat in your stew and sister-Astra taught me a new song, and I bet that helped you feel better, did it? I came and sang it every… Eli stifled a laugh as Mira gave the small wyvern a bemused look, stroking the scales of her spine with one hand as she nattered on, before cutting her off verbally, " Tia slow down, Mira won't be able to hear anyone else if you keep carrying on like that."

The excited squealing didn't quite die, but at least quieted down to something closer to a particularly loud purr as Eli and Darian joined the pair at Mira's bedside. Elias reached down and gave Astra's shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he smiled over at Mira, " It's good to see you awake, welcome back." Mira smiled back, a touch warmer than she used to, the smile nearly as welcoming to Eli as a hug from the normally taciturn woman, " It is good to be back Mr Mercer."

She glanced around at them smiling as she took in their condition, although Eli did not miss a slight tightening of her lips and the quiver of a brow as her gaze swept over his injury, before pausing on Darian as she raised her brows in surprise, " Lord Darian! Your presence is welcome, if unexpected, with your being here I assume a beacon was lit?" He nodded, " Aye.

The commander of the 3rd battalion 4th regiment was away on business and after a bit of wheedling Colonel Ebonhart was willing to let me take command of the relief force. But enough of that." Darian leaned forward to give her other hand a squeeze as Astra asked, " How are you feeling?" Mira hacked a dry cough before speaking, " Like a mountain fell on me, possibly a volcanic one since my arms feel like they are on fire, but I will live."

Astra pulled back her hands sharply, as if burned, wincing at how tightly she had been holding the injured limb, " Ah, forgive me…" Mira chuckled, a rasp in her voice, using the freshly freed limb to take a sip of water from a cup on her bedside table before favoring Astra with a warm smile, " Nothing to forgive. I am hardly made of glass my Lady, and I am glad to see you hale as well. Now."

She fixed Astra with a stern but fond glare, " My memories are still a bit scattered at the moment, but I do recall that you still owe me a full report on why in the Abyss you three were even there to begin with." Astra sighed, taking a seat as Eli dragged over a chair for her. She leaned onto the edge of the bed as Tia coiled into a ball next to Mira and dropped her head in Mira's lap, one bandaged hand idly stroking her scales as Astra began her tale." So it all started not long after you left…"

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Eli gave the strap on the harness of his ridgeback a final tug as he secured the last of his spares behind the saddle. Coop had offered to store them with the rest of his supplies in the back of the wagon, but after recent events he found that he felt naked without a few spares.

There was a good chance the beast would end up lashed one of the wagons shortly anyways as he preferred to travel on his own two feet, but Astra had insisted on the assignment, making the valid point that in the case of an emergency he would need to be able to travel quickly if needed." Five seems a little excessive, Mountain Man, we're heading to the heart of the Empire, not the bottom of the Abyss."

Eli shrugged as he replied to Sasha as she approached from behind, " Just a few spares in case there is trouble on the road." She stopped and spun fists on her hips next to him as she cocked her head in his direction, " And the other five that I spotted stashed with the squad stores?" Eli winced in embarrassment as he ran his hand through his hair, " Look. I went through three on the last campaign alone, it just felt right to be a little prepared…" She gave him a dubious look, " Uh huh. Sure.

Ten is a completely normal number of polearms. Not weird at all." Sasha shook her head with a grin sauntering off in the direction of the wagons, " I swear he carries more arms than the quartermaster…" He glanced around the courtyard, filled to the brim with carts and wagons, soldiers and civilians alike. Now that Mira was awake and the week of leave had ended, the patrol was preparing to leave for the open road, although their numbers had grown dramatically.

Darian's battalion was joining them for the return trip at least as far as their duty station and, if the rumors were true, his company planned to accompany them all the way to Emberholdt. Eli had yet to ask Astra about it, but the occasional worried glances her brother had shot her way on the ride from Whittenburg had been enough for him to feel sure in his assumptions. The caravan had continued to grow.

Many of the refugees rescued from the Late Viscount had accepted Astra's invitation to travel to Emberholdt, while a handful of Emerald Grove's own citizens, including the Hostler's, had decided the heavily guarded convoy was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Eli shuffled to the side to make way as he heard the creaking of wagon wheels on the cobblestone of the courtyard behind him, only to turn as a familiar gruff voice came from behind him, " You know lad, if you need a few more I have a barrel of spears in my cart, I could give you a discount in bulk." He grinned as he spotted the stout form of Old Graff in the driver's seat of a large wagon, heavily laden with goods by the creaking of the springs.

Eli reached up to offer a hand to the man as he pulled to a stop next to him, " Don't you start with it too old man, what are you doing here." Graff chuckled in a deep rumble as he shook Eli's hand, " Now lad just because your lass is fair does not mean you shouldn't enjoy a little sass from the rest of them, ah to be young… I miss those days. The only ones who sass me these days are the old fishmongers at the market, you should enjoy it while you can."

He leaned over the armrest of the seat and gestured to the dozens of carts, wagons, and carriages arrayed across the yard in neat lines, " Not often you see such a large and well protected convoy heading for the heartland, especially one so willing to take on a few extra passengers along way, I figured I may not see the like in the next decade if not longer."

Graff sighed as he slapped his knee with the reins in his hand, " Besides, after the excitement of the last few weeks, I'm not so sure my old bones can handle too much more of this. It's one thing for the occasional beast or two to test the walls, or to lose a shipment headed out into the deep wilds, but after what happened to the Hostler's and hearing the rumors from the League about what you all went through towards Whittenburg?" He shook his head, beard swaying, " No.

I think it's time for me to enjoy my twilight years somewhere a little safer." Eli cocked his head as he leaned against his mount, " You're retiring? Didn't think you seemed the type." Graff scoffed, " Och no! Ancients forbid, I would wither and die without my work, I'm no dragon hoarding my coins, but I like serving adventurers and the like, keeps me spry."" What about your shop?"" Bah, I left the place to my niece, she can cut her teeth making her first few gold out here in the wilds.

My brother has been talking about opening a shop in Emberholdt for years, leaving the shop in the Capital to his boy and starting fresh. I was thinking about calling him down to join me, he's good with a hammer." Eli arched a brow up at the old dwarf, " Your niece, the one who called Astra a 'bint'? Not so sure that was a great choice…" Graff chortled with laughter, taking a moment to catch his breath before answering, " Aye.

That's the one, I reckon she'll learn right quick to mince her words or she'll end up back east before we do. Don't you worry, I gave her a right good talking too, she'll do well enough. It'll be good to travel with ye lad, I'll see you on the road." Eli smiled as reached up to give the old man's hand a final shake, " Yeah it will be, we'll have to swap some tales around the fire some time."

He watched the man wheel his wagon across the yard to join the line where a group of soldiers were assigning places in the caravan. Taking that as his cue, Eli hopped into the saddle and guided his ridgeback over towards the patrol, pulling up alongside the lead wagon, where an only slightly nervous Cooper was sitting next to a still bandaged Mira on the driver's seat.

The healers had given her a mostly clean bill of health, insisting on at least two more weeks of bed rest before reluctantly settling for light duty instead after Mira's repeated objections. Eli smiled as he remembered the earlier scene where Astra had tried to get her to ride in one of the interior bunks, unsurprisingly it did not go her way.

As Eli approached Mira glanced down from her seat and arched her brow as she caught sight of his small arsenal strapped to the back of his saddle, " You seem suspiciously well armed Mr Mercer. I was under the impression we were heading for Emberholdt, not marching off to war. Did I miss a briefing?" Elias let out a deep sigh as Cooper snickered, " Not you too…" Mira glanced at Cooper with a hint of a smile." Mr Cooper, would you make a note in the manifest, please?

It seems Mr Mercer has requisitioned enough polearms for another squad." Cooper finally lost his composure as he guffawed, while Eli simply buried his face in his hand.