Aftermath, Battle of Lothlindor Fields
"Courage isn't what keeps you from shaking when the blood's still warm. Courage is holding the line when every nerve in your body is screaming to run. First time I saw a man die, I was barely seventeen, my own sword too heavy for my hands. That was the first time I understood what fear really was." - Sorek Redmarch
Scene: The Edge of the Triage Tent
Dusk stains the sky orange and bruised-purple. The clang of distant hammering—armor being repaired, not worn—lingers in the air. Blue sits on a half-collapsed crate, hands wrapped in stained bandages, gaze locked on something only she can see. Katherine sits beside her, quiet. Nearby, Sir Beringer approaches, removing one gauntlet as he walks.
Sir Beringer (gently): Kendal. Give us a moment?
Katherine (rising, with a hand on Blue’s shoulder): I’ll be close.
[Katherine leaves, casting a glance back. Beringer crouches to Blue’s level, not looming—just present.]
Sir Beringer: Took me three battles before my hands stopped shaking afterward. First time, I nearly dropped my blade from the sweat alone. Thought I’d done everything wrong. Truth is, most of us feel that way at the start. Some never stop.
Blue (hoarse): I didn’t feel brave. I felt… wrong. Like everything in me wanted to run and scream, and I didn’t. But I didn’t win either. I just—survived.
Sir Beringer (nods): That’s what most of us do. Survive. The stories talk about glory, but they don’t mention the mud in your mouth, or the way your ribs shake when it’s over. That’s not weakness, Blue. That’s your soul holding on.
[Blue doesn’t respond. Her eyes glisten, but no tears fall. Sir Beringer continues, quieter now.]
Sir Beringer: You faced goblins, bugbears, half-ogres. Creatures that don’t build, don’t grow, don’t care. They destroy because it’s what they are. If they had their way, the whole realm would be smoke and bone. You stood in front of that—and stayed. That matters.
Blue (quiet): I didn’t feel like a hero.
Sir Beringer: Good. You’re not here to be a hero. You’re here to guard. To hold the line so others don’t have to. It’s bloody work. Sometimes thankless. But it’s the kind that means something. And not everyone can carry it.
Blue (barely audible): What if I can’t?
Sir Beringer (firm, but not unkind): Then you’ll find something else that’s yours. But don’t decide that tonight. Tonight, let it be enough that you were there. That you didn’t run. That you bled beside your shieldmates and came out the other side. That’s the shape of a knight in the making.
[He rises slowly, offering her a hand—not to pull her up, but just to hold.]
Sir Beringer: When you’re ready, we’ll talk. And when you’re not, I’ll still be here.
[Blue looks at his hand for a long moment. Then she takes it.]
Venom's Entry
[Venom emerges from the shadows, her dark armor catching the fading light. She watches them for a moment before stepping closer, her expression calm but not unkind.]
Venom: Humans amaze me. Capable of cruelty and compassion moments apart.
[She gives a grim smile, gaze shifting between Beringer and Blue.]
Venom: When an elf feels such intense emotions, it is a long way back to the other side. It’s why Theron and I are so often misunderstood as ‘cold.’
[Her eyes meet Beringer’s, not in judgment but concern. She reaches out, fingertips lightly tracing his cheek, her touch lingering.]
Venom (softly): Just don’t lose yourself. Your family is known to do harsh things—don’t start taking pleasure in it.
[Venom straightens, her expression softening as she looks at Blue.]
Venom: Your hair’s looking ragged, little one. Come. Let’s get you cleaned up and talk some more.
[She smiles, warm and genuine, before stepping away, the scent of crushed herbs and smoke trailing in her wake.]
[Katherine Kendal re-enters the tent, wordlessly embracing Sir Beringer in a hug, before hurrying off to catch up with Dame Venom and Blue.]
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