Chapter 42 : Turn Ourselves In
The soldiers moved quickly, lifting Fenlor and carrying him toward the infirmary. Henry took a step to follow — and stopped.
"You. Stay."
He turned. The noble guard stood with his sword in hand, eyes fixed on him.
"I have something to ask you."
Henry glanced once toward the door Fenlor had disappeared through, then turned back and stayed.
Inside the infirmary, the soldiers laid Fenlor down on the bed and stepped back. The room settled into a low murmur as they looked at each other — then at the young man on the bed, chest rising and falling steadily, blood still staining the corner of his mouth.
"Who is he?"
"No idea. Never seen him before today."
"He took three of the leader's strikes." One of them shook his head slowly. "Three. And he was still standing after the second."
"Where is someone like that even from?"
None of them had an answer. They stood there in the quiet of the infirmary, looking at Fenlor with the particular unease of men who had just watched something they couldn't quite explain.
Leon Ash walked toward Henry, sword still in hand, and stopped in front of him.
"Who exactly are you two?"
Henry swallowed. "We're brothers. My name is Henry — he's Fenlor. We've been looking for a master to learn under."
Leon Ash studied him without blinking. A long moment passed.
"There are very few men in this kingdom who can hold their ground against me." His voice was calm, but the smile that followed it wasn't. "Are you telling me that someone with no master — no formal training — just withstood my strikes?"
Henry's throat moved. "He never had a master. He taught himself."
The noble guard said nothing for a moment. The anger behind his eyes cooled, replaced by something quieter — the look of a man turning an unexpected fact over in his mind.
"…Then your brother is a genius."
He was quiet a moment longer. Then he drove the tip of his sword into the ground between them and stood straight.
"I never introduced myself." His eyes met Henry's. "I am Ash." A pause. "Leon Ash."
He smiled — and then a soldier's voice cut across the yard.
"Captain! He's waking up!"
Leon Ash turned without a word and walked toward the infirmary. Henry followed close behind.
Fenlor was already pushing himself upright when they entered, one hand braced against the bed. He looked around the room — taking in the unfamiliar walls, the soldiers standing nearby — then found Henry. His eyes moved next to the man standing beside him.
He looked Leon Ash over slowly, then narrowed his eyes.
"Will you teach me?"
Leon Ash blinked. Then he let out a short breath — something between a laugh and disbelief.
"To think that's the first thing out of your mouth." He crossed his arms. "Yeah. I'll teach you."
He turned to the nearest soldier. "Look after him until he recovers."
The soldier nodded.
Leon Ash turned and walked out. His boots were quiet on the stone floor as he moved through the corridor and toward the gate. One of the soldiers fell into step beside him.
"Captain — you're not really letting them off that easily, are you? Why?"
Leon Ash didn't slow down. His eyes stayed ahead.
"Do I look like a fool?" His voice was low, even. "You think someone withstands those impacts because of self-teaching?" He pushed through the gate without breaking stride. "Keep both of them in your sight. I'll decide what to do with them when I return."
He walked on and said nothing more.
The room emptied gradually until only the two of them remained.
Henry looked at Fenlor. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. Just coughed some blood — nothing serious." Fenlor shifted against the bed. "More importantly — what happened out there?"
"The noble guard asked some questions. Said his name is Leon Ash."
"Anything useful?"
Henry shook his head.
Fenlor leaned back. "I didn't expect much in one day anyway."
Henry looked at him. "You told me you weren't going to fight him."
"He started it. And I held back — you told me to, remember?"
Henry sighed. "From here on, we should be conscious." He paused. "Leon Ash is not someone we should deal with carelessly."
Fenlor said nothing. He stared at the ceiling, turning something over quietly in his mind.
Fenlor closed his eyes. A moment passed. Then he smiled and opened them again.
"What if we just turn ourselves in?"
Henry stared at him. "What — what are you even saying?"
"Think about it. Do you remember what Rudravaan told us before we left?"
Henry opened his mouth, then closed it. "…What about it?"
"All we need to do is find Jasper and deliver the message. That's it. That's what Rudravaan said." Fenlor looked at the ceiling. "We don't need to sneak around him. We just need to meet him."
"But that's—" Henry hesitated. "That's still dangerous."
"Probably less dangerous than killing him," Fenlor said simply.
Henry couldn't argue with that. "Then how do we get close enough to approach him?"
"That's where Leon comes in."
"Leon Ash? How?"
"Same trick we used at the bar." Fenlor glanced at him. "We tell him we have information on Rudravaan."
Henry frowned. "And how exactly does that help us get to Jasper?"
Fenlor smiled and said nothing.
Henry looked at him for a long moment. "You're not going to explain it, are you."
"You'll see."