Valerien lowered Lenora's body to the ground and caught the shiny sphere of her soul. Holding it carefully in one hand, he poured the mead on the floor and inverted the clay jar to trap the soul under it.
He detached a set of keys hanging from her belt and threw them to Kirin.
"Go and get your tiny human. Tell the soldiers I am taking you both to the mine," he said quietly.
The keys fell to the ground at Kirin's feet. He seemed frozen on the spot, his wide blue eyes fixed on the dead body. Valerien covered it with a blanket from the bed, then grasped Kirin's shoulders to shake him out of his stupor.
The bard stumbled back, recoiling from his touch.
"We have no time for this. Move," Valerien growled.
It worked. Kirin picked up the keys and fled.
Valerien rummaged through the papers on the table. They were mostly Lenora's drawings, but he found two maps with markings and notations in Rhian's handwriting. He folded them carefully and put them into the inside pocket of his cloak.
The dull noise of the soul sphere hitting the walls of its clay prison made him grimace.
"I'll set you free as soon as I can," he promised quietly.
He searched the tent for anything else that could be useful, then stepped outside to assess the situation.
Kirin had freed the small human from the cage. He held the child tightly in his arms and was speaking to him in a low voice. Gerant and the officer were watching them with interest, but didn't try to interfere.
Zian stood behind them, stoking the cooking fire in front of the mess tent. The sight jogged Valerien's memory. Now that he remembered who the redhead was, he understood the unbridled hatred. This one would never trust him.
"Where is everyone else?" he asked.
"Change of guard at the mine, sir," Gerant volunteered.
The officer, however, seemed more suspicious and asked, "Didn't Lady Lenora tell you about the arrangements here, sir?"
Valerien looked pointedly at the empty mead jars piled next to the command tent and said dryly, "Lady Lenora is currently incapable of thought, let alone speech."
Gerant and the officer nodded with understanding, but Zian shot them all a disgusted look and picked up a cauldron.
Valerien watched him walk towards the stream behind the tent and knew he had to act quickly.
"Lord Yaris wanted this human brought to the mine. I will take him there now," he informed the officer.
"As you wish, my lord. But he must return Lady Lenora's little pet to the cage first. It keeps trying to run away if we don't lock it up," the man replied.
Valerien glanced at Kirin and noticed the familiar stubborn set of the chin.
Fighting it was then. There was no chance he could convince him to leave the child behind until they got back.
"You will not lock him up. He is Lord Valerien's now."
It wasn't Kirin's unexpected words that made everyone flinch, but the way he said it. The imitation of Rhian's cold voice and clipped tone was so perfect that it unsettled Valerien.
Gerant took a step back, and even the officer swallowed nervously.
For a moment, Valerien thought they would get away with it, but then a strangled cry came from the command tent.
The officer ran towards it. Valerien cursed and followed him. The redhead had acted faster than expected. He must have cut his way into the tent from the back.
Another shout reached his ears, this time filled with rage.
"Murderer!"
The tent flap flew open and Zian charged out, holding Lenora's sword with both hands. Valerien stopped in his tracks and shoved the officer forward.
Zian stumbled back in shock when he realised whom he had run through and let go of the weapon.
Valerien pulled the sword out of the dying man's body and ended Zian's misery, then whirled around to finish Gerant.
He was too late. Gerant was holding an Arcanite tent pole, ready to strike at Kirin, who had pushed the small human behind his back to shield him.
"No!"
In his horror, Valerien thought the desperate cry had come from his own throat, but then realised it was the child shouting.
"No! Gerant! No!"
Valerien ran towards them. Yet before he could reach them, he saw the soldier's shoulders slump.
The sharp pole dropped to the ground.
"Don't be afraid, little one," Gerant told the child.
He straightened again and turned to Valerien.
"I surrender to your mercy, my lord."
"What kind of soldier are you?" Valerien snarled.
"One who wants to live, my lord," the man said quietly.
The answer irritated Valerien. He had no time for prisoners. He raised the sword again, then stopped as he felt Kirin staring at him.
Blue eyes met his own with coldness and reproach. Valerien held the gaze for a few heartbeats, then lowered the sword.
"Are you a Fire Fae, Gerant?" he asked.
"No, sir."
"Then this should hold you for a while," Valerien said and pushed him into the wooden cage.
He turned the key that was still in the lock and told Kirin, "Get your bow. If you want to free those people, then you'll have to take out a few of their guards yourself."
"I know. But he can't stay here alone," Kirin said, gesturing at the crying child.
"Take him with you."
"He has seen more than enough blood today!"
Valerien gritted his teeth, but the memory of Kirin as a child flashed in his mind. He remembered the unbearable feeling of fear and misery shaking the small body. This little one looked even younger, and his large eyes were fixed on the bloodied sword in terror.
Valerien let a lick of flame run along the blade to burn the blood away.
The child's eyes grew even larger as his expression slowly changed from fear to awe. He wiped his dripping nose with a sleeve, then reached out to touch Valerien.
"Angel," he whispered.
Valerien stepped back from the grubby little hands and frowned. "Is that your name?"
"His name is Daffyd," Kirin replied and picked up the child as he tried to sidle up to Valerien again. "Stay away from him."
"But he can take me to my mother! She waits for me at the gate!" Daffyd protested, struggling to break free.
"What gate?" Valerien asked Kirin.
The bard seemed equally confused, so it was Gerant who offered an explanation.
"Please be kind to him, my lord. He thinks you are a servant of his god. They have flaming swords and guard the gates of heaven. His mother's soul went there."
Valerien sighed inwardly. Humans and their strange beliefs again.
He gave the child a stern look and said, "There is no time in the realm where souls rest. What seems like years to you is just a blink of an eye to your mother. She does not want you to join her too soon. Do you understand?"
Daffyd stopped struggling and nodded solemnly.
"Good. You will hide somewhere safe now. Don't come out until I call you," Valerien told him.
The child nodded again, then asked, "Can Gerant hide with me? It's scary when I'm alone."
"He put you in a cage. Why do you want him to go with you?" Kirin asked with a frown.
"He didn't. It was the mean, cold lady. Gerant tells me stories when I'm afraid and brings me words from my Papa," Daffyd explained.
He then pointed at Valerien and declared with conviction, "The angel did not hurt Gerant. God told him Gerant is nice."
"Did he now? Your god truly works in mysterious ways," Kirin muttered.
The child blinked at him, then turned to Valerien and gave him a beaming, gap-toothed smile.
"I asked God for help. He sent his angel to free Papa."
Valerien grinned. "You heard it, bard. You are holding up a divine intervention. Get your bow."