Page 81 of Where Broken Wings Fly

“Do I even want to know where you found panthers?”

Killian’s eyes flashed mischief at me as his mouth remained still. I chuckled, rolling my eyes.

~

We were just making it out of Choilltean, soon to be upon the sandy beach that prefaced Uisge.

“What else is there in the army?”

Making conversation with Killian was the only thing keeping me sane. That, and Urram who was perched on my shoulder and pinched my neck every time I went too quiet.

“We have a ridden quadrant. Horses and pegasus’, for the few lucky enough to obtain caraid with them. The ground units, spears and swords mostly. And a flying quadrant, though those numbers are less and less each year. That’s where Niamh should be, considering her skill with a bow, but she refuses to leave Raegan’s side.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.”

Killian huffed an agreement, his eyes struggling to lift off of the Prince's head.

“Have you ever been to war?”

Killian tensed, his body less fluid as we continued to trudge along. “I’ve trained my whole life for it. The end of King Ronan’s war came about while I was still learning to use a sword. After that, I just never imagined I would need to. It’s been skirmishes here and there, but nothing of this magnitude, no.”

“What about Raegan?”

“Same thing. He was still in Cluaineach when Ronan finished his tour and by the time he was brought back to Choilltean and trained, there was no longer need for such a host.”

“Have any of the ceadan seen a battle like this?”

“A few, I’m sure. Shea has. She was alongside King Ronan during his rampage.”

“But not Niamh.”

“Not Niamh,” Killian sighed. “I’m not completely convinced she should even be here. She’s too young, and while she is definitely skilled, I don’t think fighting is her true calling.”

I considered that as I watched Niamh, a wild grin on her face as she bothered Raegan and Gliocas with some strange game of knock-the-parrot-from-the-shoulder using pebbles.

“But you believe fighting is your calling?”

He shrugged. “It’s what got me here. It’s what has brought honour to a long line of farmers and maids. This very battle will be the one that cements my name in history.”

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I nodded as if I understood. But I didn’t, not really. For all of his burly exterior, Killian was soft of heart where it counted. He was kind and gentle and generous, I only wished I understood why he felt the need to prove himself in a world where no one truly cared.

“What about you? Do you believe you have a calling?”

“Helping, I think.”

He glanced sidelong at me, forever a childish gleam in his eyes and a roguish smile on his lips. “You’ve done plenty of that here already.”

“It never feels like enough. I became a vet to help those who needed it. And in a life where I found joy in very little, that one small thing was enough to let me sleep at night.”

“Back to gloomy, are we?”

I nudged at him, toppling his large stature off of the path where he cackled and returned himself.

“Why did you bring me here?”

Even though the host was alive with chatter, the sound of metal screeching against metal, and the heavy fall of feet and hooves and paws, silence fell upon the two of us.

“Killian?”