“I see you have brought many great warriors,” Fifth Bde Jessica said, noting Baztam smirking slightly, certain she was about to fight him. “Do you think we would step bader such a threat?”

  “Though I hope you do not, I believe you will,” Iromin replied, not wanting Baztam to escate the situation in the way he liked. Unfortunately, his tone had implied it were a matter of fact.

  “Why are you so certain?” Jessica didn’t o ask, but she wao hear the reasons from Iromin’s mouth. There was the matter of justification in times like this, and through Iromin’s words, causing trouble right before the Reavers appear, the Orders could potentially ask the Kings to pressure the Iyr. If nothing else, the word that they had tried to fight against the Iyr was good enough, especially sidering the Iyr’s ret failings.

  “Fifth Bde, what are we?” Iromin asked.

  “Iyrmen?”

  “We are of the Iyr,” Iromin firmed, his eyes darting around, before he smiled tenderly, as though a father teag his daughter. “I see it in your eyes.”

  “What?”

  “You are Aldish, Florian, Aswadian. The Aldish Orders, you are beholden to the King, but even so, you uand your position. Once, you had the ability to make demands of the King, and you are losing such powers with the ret ws. Florians, your try has only just formed, and you ot allow the Aldish Orders to behave with impunity upon your nds. It is why half of the members in this fort belong to Florians, though you form up only three, , Orders. You also worry that your King will take criticism for allowing two members of the Thousand Hunts, whose Grand ander is a Paragon, to die. Aswadians, you worry that you will o take responsibility for the King’s fight with our Jurot.” Iromin smiled even wider, for there were other issues he could address, but he could not reveal he knew of such.

  “We are Iyrmen. Aldishmen, rejoice. Florians, Aswadians, you have o worry. The Iyr takes all the responsibility for what has occurred today. We will accept responsibility before the Reavers arrive, we will accept it ohey are dealt with. We are Iyrmen!”

  Baztam slowly nodded his head, causing Jessica to gnce his way, before she returned her gaze to the Chief.

  “You io take all responsibility?” Jessica asked, fused.

  “King Merryweather, should King Bckwater bme you, you may inform him we of the Iyr take full responsibility. Aldishmen, for those whose Grand anders are not present, you may inform them that we of the Iyr take full responsibility for what has occurred here today. For the killing of the two Oathsworn, for allowing demons to roam here, fing a half elf here, so close to Rock Hill, though he has nothing to do with the Massacre.” Iromin smiled wider as he spoke the words, beaming like Lanarot in a bakery.

  The Orders remained fused, unsure of what the Chief was doing.

  “We brought you here to warn you of the Reavers, because the Reavers will devastate your nds. While you pin about who should deal with the Reavers, how few you send while h your wealth, we Iyrmen will assist, for we will enjoy the hunt. We Iyrmen enjoy sharing the sport, for we will cim more than our fair share. We are Iyrmen.”

  “Aye,” Baztam growled, while Jarot howled with ughter.

  Iromin fell silent, his smile fading, his eyes meeting Viander Harrison’s, the darkness reappearing. The Viander could feel it, the intense pressure against his back.

  “You killed our children. Our children. Jarot. Larot. Jirot lived, but you shot her? Children of the Iyr?” Iromin’s eyes darted around to the various figures, especially the five Grand anders of the various Orders which had stepped forward. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, before calming himself. “It is thanks to the mercy of the Rot family, of the young man who killed your knights, that we of the Iyr will allow you to step back.”

  “You will allow us to step back?” Jessica asked. “Do you not sider you are outnumbered?”

  “Outnumbered?” Iromin asked, gng across the entire group before him. The Chief tilted his head slightly. “Their goal shall be to leave with their lives. Are you so fident you protect your apprentices while they cut their way out?”

  ‘What?’

  “King Merryweather, are we Great Elders under your prote, or are we free to kill?” Elder Peace asked.

  “None shall harm you, Elder Peace, Chief Iromin, but I ot guarahe lives of the Iyrmen who wish to fight,” King Merryweather stated.

  Elder Peace fell silent for a long moment, rubbing her beads. “Malfev, too, must be guaranteed, for he must bring back the bodies, or we will hold you responsible, King Merryweather.”

  “Very well.”

  “Chief Iromin’s thoughts are correct. Will you risk the lives of your apprentices when only three Orders are involved in this matter?”

  “We are bound by duty.”

  “We, too, are bound by duty,” Elder Peace said. “If you wish to step forward here today, you must do so uhe uanding that while the Reavers ravage the nd, any Order which protects those who have sin our children shall also e uhe effect of the Right to Hunt. If you wish to escate the situation to a war, I ask that you do so together, so that we may deal with you all at once, rather than to dey the matter over months.”

  “The King will not allow it,” Jessica stated.

  “When the Reavers e, the King will require our assistance, and we will offer it to him as we always have,” Elder Peace replied calmly.

  “Do you believe he would choose the Iyr over our Orders?”

  “How many Vianders must my grandson kill for you to uand your pce?” Jarot growled, though his lips formed a cheeky smirk.

  “Is your retionship so great that you would risk the lives of your youths for the sake of the three Orders who beg the King for a roof over their head?” Elder Peace asked. “No. I do not think so. For even now, the Ice Bdes, Bck Moon, and Snow Storm, shall not step forward. The Golden Spears and Eagle Wing shall not wish to lose their Grand anders. The Steel Bears will not step forward, and due to their refusal, nor will the Steel Boars or Steel Wolves. The Florian Orders shall step back, knowing that the Iyr has taken responsibility for the matter from their King. That leaves Two Hundred and y Bdes, Purple Bdes, Shimmering Swords to assist the Thousand Hunts, Floral Sun, and Cherry Bdes. Only six Order? All for the sake of one boy, who has not harmed you?”

  The Fifth Bde he Great Elder’s threat, swallowing slightly. She looked aside to the Orders she had mentioned, and it was true that the Northern Orders had remaiill, and the Bear Mother had already stated that she would not fight, sidering her retionship with Malfev. Her eyes fell to the foes all around.

  Thirty foes, with the Mad Dog sidered average among them. Five per Order they may face, and their goal was simple, to simply escape. They could certainly kill a handful of their youth during the escape, and sidering so many of them were Rage Dancers, and some seemed to be Martial Artists, they were swift.

  “Is this the justice I expect from rades who we have fought side by side in tless battles?” Sir Harrison asked.

  Lord Marshal Royced aside to King Merryweather. The Iyr had taken responsibility, but unfortunately, it still meant that Harold would o do something against the Iyr for the matter to be resolved properly, otherwise the trust in Floria would crumble, even from the Aswadian side.

  “It is a shame blood illed today,” Royce said, gaining the attention from everyone around, for just like King Merryweather and the Great Elders, Royce carried a legendary status, rivalling the best of the Grand anders, and some would say he surpassed them. “I have met this young man a few times, and though is a queer fellow, I noted his heart was good. I see that, due to the deaths of his children, he sought justice. I may live in the South now, but my bones carry the ess of the North. I e a father for wanting to seek vengeance for his children.”

  Even the Viander of the Boao step forward to deal with Jarot, had to agree with the Lord Marshal’s words. After all, the old man was oheir Knight of Death.

  “Merryweather, Yrace,” he said, causing a few of the Northero chuckle. “The first time you met this boy, did his love for children not impress you?”

  “I do not recall,” King Merryweather replied, having only learnt about Adam’s children from Royce himself retly.

  Royce waited, gng between King Merryweather, and then Adam. Upon seeing that her of them had uood his words, the Lord Marshal rubbed his face, shaking his head slightly. “I recall you him your favour for saving a boy’s life?”

  Adam gasped, while Merryweather’s eyes so Royce, who uood the King hadn’t realised just how much his Lord Marshal had helped. Iromin’s eyes fell to Adam, only then realising that Adam hadn’t kept his favour with King Merryweather for something else, but had altogether fotten it.

  “That’s right,” Adam said. “You owe me a favour, Yrace!”

  “What madness is this?” Harrison asked.

  “I… do recall owing him a favour.”

  “Then I want to call it in noardon for myself, my panions, and the Iyr, for what happened here today.”

  King Merryweather caught Iromin’s eyes, w what he thought, but upon seeing the Iyrman’s eyes, he bowed his head. Even the King could feel the pressure from the Chief’s pletely disied gaze, for either way, the Iyr would accept the result. “Very well.”

  Before Harrison could pin, the guards blew their horn, bringing the attention of those within the fort to the gates. Indeed, for such a matter could not be resolved so easily, not when it dealt with the Iyr. However, her Elder Peace or the Chief had pnned for the arrival of the figure stepping towards them.

  You're not so bad, Roy.