The Trinity of Heroes (I Will Protect You Book 1) (42 page)

“Galvan, tell me it’s over. Please, tell me it’s over,” Catherine pleaded, nuzzling her forehead deeper and deeper into his robes.

“It’s over, Catherine, we can go home…” He stopped himself for a moment, wondering if she would actually accept his offer. “Umm…Catherine…?”

“Yes, Galvan, what is it?” she asked, eyes sparkling with tears of joy and love.

“Will you…uh…you know…come with me…to the Everglen?” He managed to choke it out somehow even though Jameson was jumping about, trying to peek over the edge of his pocket.

Catherine smiled softly. “Nothing would make me happier, Galvan. I will go with you after we finish helping these people. Haile has been good to us, we must repay the debt.”

Galvan nodded in agreement. He knew that much work needed to be done to rebuild the trampled, destroyed city to its former glory.

Dearest Jerreth,

It happened! It finally happened! Our son said his first word today, my love. You will never believe what he said. Our son’s first word was “Papa.” He keeps repeating it over and over. Lawrence and I both long for your return, my dear, and we both miss you very much.

With all of my love,

Elizabeth

-
A letter from Elizabeth to Jerreth, 5 P.W.

Lawrence and Benni and the rest of the Knights carried the bodies of their fallen brethren and civilians who hadn’t survived the battle to the edge of the city and piled them just outside the gates. Their bodies rested atop a funeral pyre, built with logs, sticks, brambles and dried grass. All of the Knights who could help did so; it took several days to gather all of the bodies. Those of Sabre Grey and Jerreth Sanctus were kept separate and were each given their own pyre.

Lawrence and Benni approached sadly with Flint and the three of them each lit a pyre. Lawrence lit his father’s, Benni lit Sabre’s, and Flint ignited the remaining pile of bodies. All of those able to still stand and move were there to witness this moment. Lawrence said a quiet prayer for his father and Sabre and then turned to walk away. Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to keep from sobbing, but it was no use, he knew that he would never see either of his mentors again. Before burning the bodies, Lawrence had taken Sabre’s flask from him; he was going to bring it back to his wife.

Lawrence walked through the crowd calling out for Sabre’s wife, hoping she had survived. After a few minutes of frantic searching, a familiar, beautiful, young face approached him. It was Joselyn; Sabre’s wife had survived after all. Lawrence rushed to her and embraced her. He could see tears in her eyes as she watched the funeral services. But nonetheless, she remained strong.

She hugged Lawrence tightly. “He loved you, you do know that right? Sabre loved you like a son…he told me this. One night, not too long ago, he came to me and told me of your training and your success. He said to me, ‘My dear, that boy’s got something in him that I haven’t seen in a long time…he’s just got that special something.’ Sabre thought the world of you, Lawrence; I just wanted you to know that. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me.” Joselyn placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“Madame Grey, this was Sabre’s. I think you should take it as a token to remember him by,” Lawrence said, holding out the flask.

She clutched the flask in her hands and smiled. A tear streaked down her cheek. “He would have wanted you to have it, Lawrence. Please keep it. Also, there is one other thing he wanted you to have. Stop by the house sometime soon.” She pushed the flask back into his hands.

“Yes, ma’am, I will,” Lawrence said. He returned to the pyres and joined Benni, Flint and others in another prayer.

After the funeral, Flint approached Benni, who stood alone silently saying another prayer for Nicholas and Helen. Flint stood next to Benni for a long time, joining him in his silent mourning.

Finally, the mayor firmly placed his hand upon Benni’s shoulder and said, “I have no doubt that there is much on your mind, Benni. Rest assured I will not make the same mistakes that I have in the past. You and Fairen are welcome to come and stay in the castle with my family and me. It would be my honor to see your little brother looked after. Plus it will give Maggie something to take her mind off of the long days while I am away.” Silence hung in the air. “It was an honor to know people like Nicholas and Helen Wakewood,” Flint finally continued. “They were strong and vigilant, loving and kind. They were great people, Benni, and I can see that they have raised a fine son as well.”

“Thank you, sire,” Benni said as tears continued to flow down his cheeks. Nicholas and Helen were the only real family he had ever had. Benni wondered what the future would hold for himself and for Fairen as well.

People worked together tirelessly to help clean up and rebuild the city. Neighbors helped neighbors and friends helped strangers. It was not an easy task, but the pride of the civilians and the strength of the Knights would see the job completed no matter what. Carts carried rubble and broken wood to a huge pile in the center of the city. Mayor Flint walked from crew to crew of Knights and civilians as they worked to see if they required anything. He offered food, tools, even a helping hand if need be. He lifted several large planks of lumber, doing whatever he could to lend assistance. The mayor who the citizens knew and trusted had returned to them, his sights no longer set on increasing his own coffers, but on rebuilding Haile to its former glory.

Many days passed. Those days soon turned to weeks. One day, four soldiers approached the Western Gate. The sun glimmered off of their plate-mail armor. They wielded finely crafted weapons, and their white stallions were bedecked with intricate coverings of ring-mail.

One of the Knights rode up to Flint. He dismounted, bowed, and held out his hand. “Mayor Flint, I presume?”

The mayor immediately recognized the seal of a clenched fist with an arrow and sword crossed through its center on the Knight’s shield as that of the Knights of Forstwood. “You presume correctly,” Flint responded, shaking the man’s hand. “To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the proud soldiers of Forstwood?”

“I was sent to inform you and all of your people that as of this morning our scouts have seen the damage to your city. It is Mayor Drei’s intention to assist you with your rebuilding efforts. You will receive a large load of supplies and wood and several hands to assist you within two suns.”

All of the citizens around cheered in elation at the words; they knew if everyone worked together that this seemingly goliath task could be completed. Flint knew that Mayor Drei was a man of his word even though their relationship had been strained a bit over the last twenty years due to poor communications. He hoped to begin mending that as well over the next few months.

“You may send my regards to Mayor Drei. Tell him that I greatly appreciate his help and am looking forward to rebuilding our trade routes with Forstwood and all of Melde now that Broken Wing Pass is open. Also, tell him that we will be sending our goodwill to him as soon as we can.”

“Aye, sir, I will do as you ask.” The four soldiers rode off, out of the city and back to their lands.

The promise of aid lifted everyone’s spirits and brought about a feeling of joy throughout the city. All through the streets people continued to work and celebrate the good news as the days continued to pass. The aide from Forstwood arrived. Wood, supplies, food, and a contingent of the city’s best craftsmen all flooded into Haile. In about a year the city of Haile was rebuilt to a level where it could function and operate. The barracks were restored. The streets had been cleared of rubble, the stalls in the market were rebuilt and the emblem outside of the Silver Shield was reattached. Many of the citizens were even able to repair and rebuild their homes.

***

Lawrence sat in his mother’s empty room inside Knights Runn going through her things, attempting to pick up the pieces from his past. He sorted her clothes and folded them, placing them in neat piles, ones he would distribute to civilians later on. He knew that his mother would have wanted him to do this; Elizabeth always had a sense of altruism as she thought of others before herself. He came upon a detailed personal journal that she had been keeping. He vowed to treasure it from this day forward. He flipped through the first couple of pages; it appeared to chronicle everything from the day that she first met his father. He would save the reading for later. Suddenly a light knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” Lawrence said, turning to face his visitor. He watched as Elsie came through the door, dressed in a beautiful blue silk gown, with a small tiara atop her head. Her body had recovered from the intense beating she had received at the hands of Phillip, and she now stood tall and elegant once again.

“Hello,” she said. She walked up to him and offered him a loving hug.

Lawrence chuckled. “There is still much to go through, Elsie. I don’t think I’ll ever finish this.”

“I can help you if you want, Lawrence. We could probably finish faster if we worked together.”

“I’d like that, Elsie,” Lawrence said. They started to rummage through things together. They talked of times past and the day they first met. Elsie couldn’t help but giggle as Lawrence struggled to admit that he had always found her attractive, that he couldn’t stop thinking about her since the day he first noticed her while signing up for the Knight Guard. They kept working for several hours until they finally came to a small, brown box that had a note tacked to it. Scrawled on the parchment were two words:

Lawrence Sanctus

Lawrence pulled the note off of the box and opened up the letter. He read it to himself.

Lawrence,

Should I die before the day I have the chance to give this to you myself, I want you to know that I love you very much. When I was younger, I didn’t really know what I wanted out of life and I had even less of an idea about the man I wanted to spend it with. It wasn’t until I met Jerreth that I really knew what I wanted. I knew from the moment that I met him that I wanted to be a mother more than anything else, and I wanted it to be of his child. Over the next several months and years, your father and I fell deeply in love. Eventually, one day he proposed to me, it was the second happiest day of my life. The first of course was the day that you were born. Lawrence I can only hope that by this point you and Elsie have realized your feelings for each other. She is a lovely girl and will grow up to be a fine woman and an even better mother. By now I am sure that you realize that Elsie has the same feelings for you that I had for your father. Lawrence, the item you will find in the box embodies the promise that your father and I made all those years ago. I hope that someday you and Elsie can make that same promise to each other.

I love you, Lawrence,

Elizabeth J. Sanctus

Lawrence closed the note and looked down at the brown wooden box that was held shut by a small gold clasp. He unlatched it and opened the box. Inside sat a layer of felt and lying in the middle of that felt was a simple silver ring
. Her wedding ring
! The one symbol that represented the unity of his family now belonged to him. Lawrence wondered if this ring could be the beginning of a whole new family.

“What is it, Lawrence?”

Elsie’s question startled him and caused him to quickly snap the box closed.

Clap!

The sound of the box closing intrigued Elsie. “Lawrence, show me what was in the box. I know it was something important; I could see it in your eyes!” She raised her voice slightly, irritated that Lawrence was keeping something this important from her.

“I don’t really think-” Lawrence began but was soon cut off by Elsie who had jumped on him, reaching for the box.

“Lawrence Sanctus, as your girlfriend, I order you to show me what it is!” she commanded playfully.

The thought of marrying Elsie had crossed Lawrence’s mind before. After all, he loved her dearly. He never really thought of making it official though, and in his mind he pondered that this may not be the time for it. He pulled the box away from her and set it aside, out of her reach.

“Elsie, just let it go. I don’t really want to talk about it right now,” Lawrence shot back.

“I…I’m sorry, Lawrence, I’ll stop.” Elsie frowned and looked away.

The two didn’t speak anymore; they just kept working in silence and exchanging occasional glances. Lawrence was shaken by the discovery of his mother’s wedding ring and the thoughts that he and Elsie may someday marry. He knew what he wanted to do; he knew he wanted to marry Elsie, but he didn’t know how to ask.

A long time passed. They finally finished sorting his mother’s things. Lawrence finally sat back and looked at Elsie.

“Can you meet me tonight, Elsie?” he asked.

“At the bridge?” Elsie questioned. “We no longer have anything to hide, Lawrence, why don’t we just meet in my room in the castle?”

“It isn’t about that, Elsie. I don’t want anyone to interfere in our conversation.”

“Alright, I can meet you there in the mid of night, Lawrence.”

“See you then,” Lawrence said as Elsie left his mother’s room. He had no idea what he was going to say or how he was going to say it. He just hoped that at the end of it all Elsie would accept his proposal. Lawrence worked with crews for the rest of the day and watched as the hot sun turned to dark skies as night overtook the city.

The night was warm and beautiful. Lawrence could feel his pace slowing as he approached Alacrecia. It was as though he was wearing boots made of solid iron, causing him to become sluggish. He had never been this nervous before in his entire life, even when he was racing to Haile to defend it from the Sangres.

Lawrence wasn’t really sure what to expect. He continued through the silent streets of Alacrecia where a few homes that were damaged by roaming Sangres had been restored. He watched the stars twinkle above as he approached the bridge where he and Elsie first truly began their relationship. He noticed Elsie standing there, her skin glistening in the moonlight. He approached her slowly, trying to gather the courage for what he wanted to do.

The two met with a gentle kiss and embraced under the starlight. Elsie wasted little time. “So what did you want to talk to me about, Lawrence?”

Lawrence looked around for something to distract her, anything to keep off of that topic for now. He walked up to the stream and sat down next to it, tossing a couple of pebbles into the water. Elsie soon joined him.

“When I was fighting all those demons, Elsie, there was only one thing that kept me going, only one thing I could think about.”

“What was that, Lawrence?”

“It was you…it has always been you. From the first day I met you, I knew you were the one for me. I may not always show it, but I really do love you, Elsie.”

“Oh, Lawrence, I love you too, you know this.”

“I want to ask you something, Elsie…” He summoned all of his courage and pulled the ring out of his pocket and placed it on her finger. He looked deep into her eyes. “Elsie Pyre, will you marry me?”

Elsie sat with a surprised look on her face, unsure of how to respond at first. She was dumbfounded, unable to process what had just happened. Everything she had ever wanted was now within her grasp. She could feel her heart pounding in her throat as the moonlight reflected off of the pure silver ring.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you, Lawrence!” she answered. She threw her arms around him and pulled him close. She placed a kiss on his lips and watched as the same ministry of fireflies arose to illuminate the area as they had that fateful night three years ago. It was a surreal moment for Elsie, she reached up to pinch her cheek, wanting to be certain that this wasn’t a dream. She broke into tears as she looked down at the beautiful silver ring that was now upon her finger. She was overjoyed that she was engaged to the man she loved. She couldn’t wait to tell her mother and father; it was a pivotal moment in her life and one she would remember forever.

“You planned this, didn’t you?” Elsie asked, giving Lawrence a prodding look.

“Well to be honest, Elsie, I wasn’t really sure what to say or how to say it,” Lawrence said, his voice bubbling with excitement. “I’m just glad that you said ‘yes’ and made things easy on me. I don’t know what I would have done if you had refused me.”

“What if I had said ‘no,’ Lawrence, what then?” she asked playfully. “Would you have run back to Benni’s place, tear ridden and sobbing on your ol’ pal’s chest? Would you have wandered the streets of Haile alone forever?”

Lawrence shook his head, a huge smile on his face.

“I can’t wait to tell Mother and Father,” Elsie squealed. She kissed him passionately. “I bet they will throw a huge party in celebration. Oh, Lawrence, I am so happy!”

Lawrence was no longer nervous, now he was just excited. The two sat alone on the moonlit shore, surrounded by the crowd of fireflies. They held each other close as they stared at the stars.