Page 111 of Skalterra By Nightmare
I turned back to glare at him where he marched somberly at Fana’s side.
“Oh, would you look who suddenly grew compassion,” I snipped.
“After the Grimguards killed Fana’s family, Galahad rushed to Cape Fireld to offer his services in keeping her safe.” Tiernan’s eyes flitted to meet mine. “He knew he wouldn’t be allowed back, and he still left to fulfill his duty as a Riftkeeper. Take it from me, there is nothing easy about leaving home.”
As admonishing as his words were, they didn’t hold any of his usual vitriol. Ferrin must’ve been able to sense my embarrassment, because he patted my shoulder where his hand rested.
“It’s alright,” he murmured. “Galahad’s not had it easy, it’s true, but that doesn’t excuse him sentencing you to possible death.”
“If Tulyr is isolated, how did he hear about Fana’s family?” I stared at the dirty back of Galahad’s duster ahead of us. He and Iseult kept a cold distance between them, despite being family.
“He said it was raiders,” Ferrin said darkly. “Criminals emboldened by the death of a Divine family. They searched out Tulyr, looking for the Skalspring. The attack was brutal and unexpected. Galahad’s only child died, and his only grandchild lost her leg as well as both her parents.”
I was suddenly overcome with the need to give Gams a giant hug.
“Oh,” I said simply, suppressing a chill.
“Galahad questioned the surviving raiders for information on what was happening outside of Tulyr. When he heard about the Firelds, he left the next day.”
“After Iseult had just lost her whole family?” I ducked out from under Ferrin’s comforting arm. “Knowing he wouldn’t be allowed back?”
“Galahad is Galahad. He loves his family, but nothing is more important to him than keeping the Rift.” Ferrin shrugged.
“And Iseult let him leave?” I asked. If it had been Gams, I would’ve chased after her in a heartbeat. “She didn’t go with him?”
“She’d just lost her leg. That sort of injury takes a long time to heal,” Ferrin said. “And Galahad didn’t want to wait.”
I suddenly didn’t blame Iseult for threatening to kill us when she’d first found our camp. She’d been abandoned.
The farther down the stairs we got, the higher the ruins rose around us. A flash of light greeted us on the bottom step, and a man in metal armor, wielding a sword of silver, stepped out from behind a crumbling wall.
“Lady Iseult, what—” His sword dissipated, and he pushed a metal visor up his helmet to stare at us with wide eyes over a neat beard.
“They’re with the Divine Sovereign, Urian. Cape Fireld has officially fallen.” Iseult stepped ahead of Galahad to greet the knight. “They’re here for Skal, and then they’re leaving. That’s it.”
“If they were followed—”
“We weren’t.” Galahad shoved passed the knight, who blinked after him.
“You weren’t supposed to come back.”
“I’m not back, just passing through.” Galahad stopped to look at us where we still stood at the base of the grand stairway. “The Sanctum is this way. You want Skal or not?”
He continued to hobble forward, paying the knight’s protests no mind.
“Should I wake the others?” Urian asked. Iseult shook her head, sending waves down her silver hair.
“They’ll be gone soon. Help me take them to the Sanctum.”
Urian nodded, but the tight, worried frown he gave us said he wasn’t fully sure about this plan.
“It’s just, if the others find out—”
“Then they’ll answer tome, Urian.”
“Yes, Lady Iseult.”
Galahad, usually the slowest of the group, limped ahead. His silver head was bowed, and his duster billowed out behind him. He was purposefully keeping his head down, as if to avoid looking at the ruins around him.
