Chapter 21: Decisions

“They are closing on us”, Eireannan said quietly.

The wind stirred and swept under the purple tinged clouds, rustling dead leaves. An almost unnatural silence clung in the air – unnatural even here, in the middle of a dead land. Reports had shown Light’s Hope Chapel was loosely surrounded by Scourge forces three or four times stronger than usual. An attempt to scout the area had led to the ambush at Corrin’s Crossing. Only four out of ten men had survived – one only to die back at the infirmary - and a very narrow escape at that…

Lainné gave only a small grunt. She sat with the head on her knees, a bundle of frustrated misery, angry at her failure at saving that man’s life.

Eireannan cringed. Not her failure. It had been a death knight leading the ambush. And anyone touched by runed steel was beyond healing, even if it would be no more than a scratch. Darkness seemed to seep from the wound, slowly yet surely extinguishing life. It was usually a matter of hours – sometimes days, but the end was never different.

Light, was there a way, any way to make her abandon this fight and go somewhere safe?

“Soon there will be no path out…”

He started at the sound of his voice, realizing he had been speaking loud. Lainné did not even move. The wind picked up again, flapping the Argent banners against their wooden poles.

He put an arm around her shoulders, drew her closer and she leaned into the embrace, until her breath came out softly against his neck. “Stop blaming yourself.” he whispered. She tensed, yet said nothing. “You did your best – and you know it. What’s done is done and no amount of self flagellation can change that.”

Such a fine hypocrite he was. He had never managed to forgive his own failures. Luckily, Lainné didn’t know that. A lot many things she did not and the thought of coming clean with everything made Eireannan sicken up. It had to be done though. Just…not yet.

“It all seems so…hopeless…”

Lainné’s words seemed to echo his mind. The Argent leaders had been discussing for hours a possible response to the Scourge threat. He feared the resolution they might reach eventually, as much as he feared that they would be soon overcome, lest they acted somehow.

“It is not hopeless. Not until we have decided to give up.”

A quick glance over his shoulder revealed an approaching party, Lord Maxwell Tyrosius and Eligor Dawnbringer, both with concerned frowns and striding as if they were planning to walk through a wall. Releasing Lainné, Eireannan stood and after a second she followed, the very expression of cool serenity, save for the tightness around her eyes and mouth. The two men, on the other side, looked plainly uneasy.

“The threat is imminent”, Lord Tyrosius said in a sour tone. Eireannan cast a very significant look at his own half torn coat. He could have told them that much without having to discuss for two hours before.

“We obviously need more intelligence”, Eligor Dawnbringer echoed. “The Scarlets have a foothold in enemy territory, but they would not tell us anything of what they know. If only we were able to cast a look into their archives…”

Eireannan thought he could feel the blood draining from his face, as his stomach tried to twist on itself. Despite their grim set expressions, the leaders of the Dawn were not really going to walk through a wall. He was.

“You’re the only one that knows Stratholme well enough to attempt such a mission…” Lord Tyrosius broke in.

“I have already issued a call for volunteers”, Dawnbringer added. The two men exchanged meaningful glances. “You will lead them, of course…”

“Do you think that’s what matters? Who gets to lead?” Eireannan took a deep breath, gripping the sword hilt with fingers that – Lainné thought – would have rather wrapped themselves around the throat of the Argent commander.

“You are to go in, capture what documents you can and leave immediately. No need for useless heroism.”

Eireannan’s head whipped towards Lord Maxwell and gave him such a stare that the other man looked away.

“Then have the volunteers ready”, he said briskly after an odd moment of silence. Lainné’s eyes followed warily his every move. “Five or six people would do, if we want to draw as little attention as possible. And make sure they understand what they’re going against…and that some –or all – of us might no return.”

“Count me among those volunteers, commander Dawnbringer”, Lainné said suddenly.

Straightening her back she met Eireannan’s shocked expression with disarming calmness. Light, she had been tearing her hair out over that man’s death only minutes before and now she volunteered for a sortie in Stratholme?
He looked at Dawnbringer and lord Tyrosius, almost begging them to say something, but they both shrugged uncomfortably. Bad enough they had to send people on nearly suicidal missions – they would not turn down anyone who offered to participate.

“I will, sister Mayhrin”, commander Dawnbringer put in after a long moment of silence. Eireannan struggled to repress a shudder – and the overwhelming urge to just break the other man’s neck.
Oh, he had always been the one to volunteer for such risky endeavors, unconsciously hoping one would mean the end. Maybe, somehow, for all the things he had kept from her, Lainné knew and she was forcing his hand. He had to come alive out of Stratholme, because he needed to make sure she did too.

Was he really that transparent? Lainné’s eyes gave nothing away – only a level look that could have meant anything.

“Fine”, he grumbled, finally releasing the breath he did not realize he had been holding. “Have it your way.”

She nodded and smiled. Eireannan wondered why.