Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Seventy Five

A/N -- Song fits more of the last half of the chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Her story. Her mother wanted to hear her story.

"Now?" Iris asked, looking around. She finally got up from her sister's lap and pulled her own chair up beside Hench. "I am not certain there is enough time."

"I won't interrupt," Irila promised.

There was quiet for a moment. Elliot was the one to actually start off by saying, "It all started when I got the draft note for the Gwenneth family," he prompted, with a spare glance at Iris. "It was morning when it was given to me. I could tell by the courier's face when he came up to our front door that day... that he did not bring good news. The soldier in me expected what I read before I even opened the note. The southern villages were coming under attack, the Eldian army needed aid. It called for one male of the household to take up arms and fight." He looked to Irila. "As the only male, it called for me. I was to take up my sword and fight again."

Elliot chuckled. "It... was a death sentence. I knew it. And at first, I couldn't face it." He shook his head. "I was to leave in a little over a fortnight." He looked to the whole family. "I... couldn't believe it. I told no one. I sat in grief. I couldn't believe the luck the gods had cursed me with." He smiled. "But then, Iris came home from the market. She walked in at noon with a smile on her face. And that was a rare sight then, to see her happy. She had been excited because she'd been able to find some special ointment to help my knee. The girl always thought of me. And... I saw my draft that moment through new eyes. It was my last chance to protect my daughter from the people who might hurt her. It was... I had her left in the world, and I was going to be damned if the gods took her away just like they had..." His eyes found Rhalla, and for a moment, he was overcome. "...just as they had my eldest. I was -am crippled, but I was going to try. For her."

"What happened?" Irila asked.

"I spent all the moments with her I could in the time we had left. And then... she... well, I eventually told her about the draft. Iris got angry," Elliot said with a short laugh. "And the day I was going to leave, I found her gone that morning, along with my armor and sword. Gretchen's hoof-prints were hours old. That day... I thought that Iris Gwenneth had gone to her noose. She would face Tokens and even our own soldiers. I knew that if the Eldian army found out about her, they'd hang her. I... I felt so helpless. After what happened with Rhalla, I couldn't picture a world where Iris would come back to me. Then, she was far too delicate to imagine what she would become. Even still, I couldn't catch her. Renna and I did the next best thing -we sent Kayde Vorantis after her. To help her. That's how it began."

He and Irila looked at Iris expectantly. Hench looked at her too.

Iris stammered her start, "Uh, well -well, he found me," she found her stride. "A few days later in the woods. No, I'll not ever forget that." Iris let out a laugh of her own. "I was such a fool. I thought you'd sent him to bring me home, so I held a sword to his throat and told him to leave. As if I could've somehow fought off Kayde Vorantis with no training. As if I had control of the situation."

Rhalla looked amused.

"The first thing he did was raise his eyebrow and tell me that I was holding that sword wrong," Iris said. "That was the first of many lessons. He taught me how to act like a man, and he taught me how to fight. I found out early that daggers were my calling. I practiced as hard as I could when I was there. He'd wake me up before dawn and go over technique. He taught me to believe in me too. I had a rogue named Kelgar train me as well. On top of all that, I went to sparring sessions with General Zayn Rothstead." Iris looked at her feet. "You haven't met him, mother, but he is a great man. One that I once... was in love with."