Sentria: The Knight Prince (Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-Two: Funeral For a Friend

I couldn't stop myself from weeping over Eldwyn's body. The more I tried, the harder it came out. Brio returned to me and licked Eldwyn's face. I felt his sadness as well and it deepened my own. I remembered how all this started and how he made me understand the importance of appreciating my horse as something more than a prized possession. He reminded me of my connection with nature and the animals and it felt like I had reconnected with a part of myself that I thought had died, gone away on the onset of royal obligations. In such a short amount of time, he had become my everything.

I looked up at Brio with tearful eyes and I saw the sadness in his. It was as if he was crying in pain as well. We were a team, Eldwyn, Brio, and I, and I couldn't bear this loss. I looked over at the bags attached to his saddle with elixirs and potions and an idea came to me. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe I could save Eldwyn.

I got up and searched through the bags, remembering what Hura had said about them. She described the vital elixir made of crushed white stone, sepia root, and waters from the Blessed Pond that could heal serious injuries. It couldn't resurrect a life and I didn't know the proper ritual, but I had to believe that Eldwyn wasn't beyond saving. I took the vial of the vital elixir from the bag went back to Eldwyn. I lifted up his head and poured the white liquid into his open mouth.

"Come on, come on...please." I looked at him, waiting for his eyes to open or to see his bleeding chest would heave with breath. I grabbed his shoulder and shook him lightly. "Eldwyn, wake up...I need you."

Still nothing.

I rested my head on Eldwyn, covering my head with my arms and cried aloud. He was gone...he was really gone.

"Please...please Danos, bring him back to me," I said, looking up at the cloudy sky. "Bronte, god of the relics, save your child. I'd give anything...anything at all. Please." I put my head down again and I sobbed, imagining my life without him. Then, I felt his chest rise and a gasp came from his mouth. I lifted myself up and looked at Eldwyn in disbelief. His eyes were wide as he opened and shut his mouth as if he had forgotten how to speak.

I smiled and when I did, I heard a loud thump nearby. I looked over and saw that Brio had collapsed and I knew exactly what had happened. Brio's life was taken in exchange for Eldwyn's.

"Darren..." Eldwyn said, and I looked back over at him. 

"You're back..." I said in disbelief.

"Is Brio..."

"Yea, he is," I said, looking over at him.

Eldwyn pushed himself up and crawled to his side.

"Eldwyn, no, you need to rest."

"No, I must pay my respects."

I frowned, then came up next to Brio, looking over his entire body. He cried and yet his expression hadn't changed, as if he was too emotionally drained to show emotion.

I grabbed his hand and Eldwyn and I prayed over our friend Brio for several minutes. 

"It isn't fair, Eldwyn," I said, choking back tears.

"Little in life is fair. It's how we handle the unfairness."

We didn't have any proper tools to bury him, so I unlatched my cape and draped it over Brio's body. I looked down at him and remembered when I had first seen him. My family and I traveled to Pillades, a nearby kingdom known for their horsemanship. The had sent a dove telling my family that their prized white steed was ready for ownership and we arrived the next day. I watched him from behind the wooden fence and saw his speed and strength and that was all that I cared about. I didn't think of him having a personality, but he did. He was knowing, he looked into my eyes as if he wanted me to be someone else..or that he knew that I was someone else. 

I turned to Eldwyn and hugged him tightly.

"I thought that you were dead," I said, never wanting to let go.

"I was," Eldwyn said. He sounded more somber than he ever had before. "I was on the other side, outside of time. I was with Bronte and he was made of pure light. Everything was light. It was perfection. But Bronte asked if I wished to return and I knew that we had a journey to see through. I have a destiny as well and it's at your side, knight."

I smiled briefly and then looked down at Brio; my beautiful white horse lying dead on the dark ground and I stiffened my lip. I wouldn't let this break me. I would let it inspire me for the upcoming battle that I needed to face.

"Let's go, Eldwyn," I said, picking up my sword from the ground and walking towards the tower. "This will be the fight of our lives."