After some period of time, exactly how much none could truly be sure, a good number of the Maseriff had fallen. Many of which had been dismembered or beheaded by knife, sword, or axe. The carcasses of both monster and man alike were lying about on the grass, which was now stained with dark blood. For the most part, the monsters now fled into the woods. The men who were yet still among the living, wished to be jubilant, but did not know what to make of what had just happened. They had never fought in a real battle before, and during their lifetimes, there had never been so vast an amount of bloodshed.
So, in lieu of celebrating quite so soon, the group of poorly led men decided amongst themselves that they would gather up their multiple fallen and wounded brothers-in-arms. The villagers, who had finally deemed it safe enough for them to leave their homes, came out into the open. They allowed the wounded to be sheltered in their houses, and most of the Arimythians tended to the pained men themselves.
The Captain-General had been found, dozing tiredly behind the same house where he had made a try at tending to the wound in his shoulder. His men, so overly exuberant at the discovery that their lord was yet still alive, set a guard about the home in which he was resting, only to ensure that nothing ill would befall him. It would be several hours more before Verican would learn of all that had taken place that day.
Fionn managed to finally find Akorsa, his discovery alleviating the growing fear in his heart in an instant. He found here kneeling over a body, that, from several paces away, he could not identify.
�Akorsa?� he called, tentatively. She shifter her body slightly to look at him, and Fionn noticed that the body belonged to Werner, who was yet breathing. He nodded in understanding upon seeing this, and stood where he was, leaving her to listen to the man�s dying words without interruption. Akorsa looked into the dying man�s eyes with sadness. He had been a friend to her, even if for a few short days, but a friend when she needed one none the less.
�My lady, do tell Durward I am sorry,� coughed Werner, his body suddenly wracked with pain. �He would not have approved of my killing a Proctor for revenge. I only did what I believed was right��
�You did what anyone would have done, Brave Werner,� she assured him soothingly, clasping his cold hand in her own as he coughed several more times.
�I am so tired,� he said softly. �I think I now shall dream��
Those final words had no sooner escaped Werner�s lips than his eyes slid shut and his head rolled about to the side. Akorsa released the man�s hand slowly, and then, hesitantly and gently, rested it upon his chest. She looked at the still form of one who had been a great being in life for but a few moments more before rising. Fionn moved towards her, opening his arms out wide, silently welcoming her into his embrace. He wrapped his arms about her weeping form and pulled her close to him.
She rested her head on his shoulder and allowed herself to cry freely. There were men of the Proctorial Army about who watched her, but with nothing other than the utmost understanding and respect in their eyes; at least she could express all that they were unable to have described so openly. Fionn pressed a kiss to the side of her head.
�Let us take you home, now. Some rest will do you good, I think,� he said, leading her away to her mother and father�s home.
- - - -
For a short while the battle had been won, and being able to take no more by way of stress, Akorsa had retired to her cot in search of peaceful dreams. Fearing that her daughter would not find them, as she had a tendency to dwell on towards nightmares and ill dreaming, Aroha had devised a tea that allowed her the respite she needed. Fionn, still being terribly concerned about her, had set up another cot in the room and watched his new wife as she slept. If she were to awaken suddenly, as Aroha had assured him would be most unlikely, he did not want her to be alone.
Little Keihl was still in the home of Doyle and Lenna, along with wee little Wyllim. The children were not being permitted to leave their homes. This had been an order made by Alvis, which was the general consensus of the villagers, ere the children should be made witness to the carnage and bloodshed of that day. Many of the children were being moved carefully into the same houses, so that more of them might be utilized to house the many wounded men.
Akorsa would not wake until much later the next day, and Fionn would eventually doze off in his attempts to watch over her. Instead, it was Alvis who made periodic checks on the both of them. Both he and Aroha felt terrible that such a thing as the day�s events had found the need to occur on their wedding day.
More importantly than that, the two had not even been permitted to consummate their marriage yet. Thoroughly determined that his daughter would live properly, Alvis surmised that the two would be left alone for a time, as they both rightfully deserved. But, until that time, the people of Arimythia would have naught to look forward to but the dawn and the hope of a new day.
