Forest of Ruin (Age of Legends 3)

"I'm still asleep, aren't I?" he said.

She took his hands, just to pull them down, but he gripped her hands and squeezed and quirked a smile for her.

"So . . . dragons now?" he said.

"And fiend dogs."

"I think I'll prefer dragons." He tugged her to sit beside him. "All right. Tell me the whole story."

THIRTEEN

While Ashyn talked, the healer came in and tried to insist that Ashyn leave while she examined Ronan, but he refused to let her go.

"If she leaves now, something else will happen and the story will only take longer."

"It will be but a few moments, my lord."

"I'm not--" he began, and then looked at Ashyn.

"Ronan is from a warrior family," she said, which was technically true. "His does not rank high enough to be accorded the title of lord, though."

"Ronan will do," he said. "But Ashyn's not leaving until she's done with her tale. Given that it is my neck that's injured, there's hardly any impropriety in you examining me with her watching. She's trained in battle healing. She can assist--while she talks."

Ashyn did that, filling Ronan in on everything that had happened since his injury, even as she assisted the healer with his care.

The fact that the arrow had penetrated to the side, hitting neither his windpipe nor his spine, meant there was no damage beyond the wound and the loss of blood. In other words, he was weak and ought not to exert himself, but the danger had passed and he'd suffer no long-term effects beyond a scar.

"I'll follow Tyrus's lead in this," Ronan said with a faint smile, "and tell myself a scar will make me more dashing. Even if it doesn't require an eye patch." He winked at her then, and she laughed, remembering their reunion in the Wastes, when she'd teased him about rogues requiring eye patches.

"If that is all," Edwyn said, "the young man needs to rest, child, and you and I need to discuss our new plans, in light of what has transpired."

"I need to see to Tarquin . . ." She swallowed. "To his remains first. They must be buried, and before that, I wish to say words to put his spirit at peace. I know that is not your way, but it is important to me."

Edwyn nodded. "It is also our way, and his family will be honored. We will do that then, as soon as we have spoken outside."

"Speak here," Ronan said. "As Ash's guard, I ought to be privy to any plans."

"You are hardly in any shape to function as her guard, my son. Rest, and when you've recovered, you can--"

"I've recovered enough to stay by her side," Ronan said. "Which I will, particularly now, after what happened to the guard you assigned."

"It was not Tarquin's fault," Ashyn said.

"I do not mean to minimize the tragedy of his death," Ronan said. "But he wasn't up to his task. You require better. You require me."

"You have a high opinion of yourself," Edwyn said dryly.

"No, I have a high opinion of the danger Ash faces, and I don't trust anyone else to understand it. Clearly your guard did not expect fiend dogs."

"No one expects fiend dogs," Ashyn said.

"True, but at least you and I expect the unexpected."

Edwyn cleared his throat. "Perhaps so, but I still ask--"

"No," Ronan said. "If you wish to have Ashyn, you must take me as well. As her guard. At her side. Always."

Edwyn's brows rose. "Are you her guard? Or her guardian? To suggest that you would prevent her from helping me, when she clearly wishes to . . ."