Page 69 of Fly to Fury
Once he dismissed the others, Lt. Rothilion wove his way through the departing elves and flyboys before he joined Pip and their little group where they stood against the wall near the back. The elf lieutenant lowered his tone as he met each of their gazes for a moment. “I know your group has been the closest to Laesornysh and Loiatir. While I discouraged the others, I give all of you leave to attempt to see them, if you are allowed to do so. I would suggest sticking to small groups. Loiatir is at the hospital while Laesornysh has been moved to Prince Farrendel’s quarters.”
Pip nodded, the lump in her throat making it too painful to speak.
“Pip, of course, needs to see Fieran.” Lije gave her a look she couldn’t quite read, his hands tucked in his pockets. “I’ll go with you, if you’d like.”
“Linshi.” The elvishthank youslipped out, and she didn’t have the strength to correct it with Escarlish.
Stickyfingers and Tiny shared a look before Stickyfingersfaced them again, balanced on his crutches. “Tiny and I will see if we can visit Merrik.”
“Then I’ll go with Pip and Lije to see Fieran.” Pretty Face gave a sharp nod, his eyes bleak.
“Do not take this as a lack of loyalty to either Merrik or Fieran, but I believe it would be best if I gave this first chance to the rest of you.” Aylia tipped her head before she glanced at Lt. Rothilion. “I fear I have too much to see to here.”
As Lt. Rothilion’s second, she was now in temporary command of Flight A.
Mak kept his arm around Pip’s shoulders. “I won’t go in with you, but I’ll walk with you, Pip.”
She appreciated that. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to stay upright, much less walk, without her brother’s steady support.
In a daze, she stumbled her way from the hangar, between the pilots’ shelters, and down the rise toward headquarters with the others keeping pace. As they neared the long wooden building framed with living trees that formed the quarters for the elven commanders, Stickyfingers and Tiny headed off down the road toward the taller wooden building not far away that was the main hospital for Fort Defense.
A few yards from the quarters for the elven commanders, Mak halted. “It’s probably best if I wait here.”
Pip nodded, drew in a deep breath, and forced her feet toward the two end doors where she’d come across King Weylind and Prince Farrendel. Was that only this morning? A mere handful of hours ago, although it felt like a lifetime.
Elven guards in armor stood before the doors, their drawn swords glinting.
Pip swallowed and forced herself to take the lead,speaking in elvish. “We are here to see Capt. Fieran Laesornysh. We are members of his squadron, and we were told he is resting in his dacha’s quarters.”
The elf guard on the left tilted his head. “Wait a moment.” He ducked inside the door closest to him, moving so swiftly that Pip didn’t catch more than a glimpse of the room inside.
The other guard remained poised, ready to leap forward if they proved hostile while they waited.
Only moments later, the elf guard returned, leaving the door open as he stepped to the side. “You have been allowed entry.”
“Linshi.” Pip motioned to Lije and Pretty Face, switching to Escarlish. “We can go in.”
Thankfully, Pretty Face strode forward and led the way inside, followed by Lije. Pip wasn’t sure she would have been bold enough to take that first step if she’d had to be the first one across the threshold.
She inched her way inside, her hands shaking as she closed the door softly behind her.
They were in a small, neat room with a table lacking any chairs in the center, a desk on one side, and a bench with a plain green cushion along the other. A single window in the wall over the desk allowed sunlight to stream inside.
Across the room from them, Prince Farrendel Laesornysh stood in a doorway, one hand braced against the doorjamb.
Pip froze where she stood just inside the outer door, her breath clogging in her throat. Right. In all the whirling emotions and shattering emptiness, she hadn’t let herself think about the fact that Fieran was in his dacha’s quarters and that dacha wasPrince Farrendel Laesornysh.
Pretty Face gave a bow, as if he thought the moment warranted the extra formality. “We’re some of Fieran’sfriends from his squadron. If we could just see Fieran for a moment, we won’t stay long.”
Prince Farrendel gave a slight nod, though he didn’t yet move out of the doorway. “Fieran has been in and out of consciousness. He might not wake while you are here. And if he does…” He paused, something almost like a grimace breaking through the otherwise blank expression. “He is dosed with both elven healing magic and human morphine.”
With that warning, Prince Farrendel retreated from the doorway.
As before, Pretty Face and Lije went first, and Pip tiptoed after. She halted just inside, unable to get her feet to carry her all the way into the room.
Fieran lay on the bed tucked against the wall, a blanket drawn up to his chest with his shoulders bare. One hand and arm were braced with a splint and wrapped in a bandage. Several cuts and scratches were layered over the purple bruising visible on his face, his shoulders, and his upper chest. His freckles and red hair were stark against his gray pallor.
As Prince Farrendel sat in one of the two chairs pulled up to the bed, Fieran stirred. His eyelids cracked open, his gaze swinging first to his dacha, then past him up to Lije and Pretty Face.
