"My Lord King, he will live I think. But I worry, perhaps you should take our friend here back to his wives to nurse?" Aye, Lachlan, perhaps I should,...although they will not thank me when they see he is injured."Lachlan estimated he had around one hundred and twenty mounted men here with him. He sent out scouts to try to gather in other men who had escaped in the night, but gave Gabrain twenty as a guard so that he could set out immediately for Oban/Dun Ollaigh. He eyed the young King, the. Erin has not.”“I did so!” Erin growled.“Really? Then why are you still pissed?” I asked. “Because she didn’t trust you? Because she still thinks you blame yourself for Taylor’s death? Because you’re scared to lose all of the things you spent your professional life building up?”The last point made Erin flinch a little. Really? She was worried about losing her bars? I could see that. It was the work she had thrown herself into after her son died and her husband left her accusing her of killing. I knew he wasn’t dead. Oh God, what have they done to him?”“He’s a hostage,” Korza hissed, his voice dripping with malice. “It’s a move so underhanded and devoid of honor that only a Bug could think of it. They’re going to parade him out here and try to make us surrender in exchange for his life, no doubt. They must be sick of the taste of tungsten.”Kaz turned her eyes back to her old companion, watching as the sea of Drones parted to let him pass. He didn’t look like he was a hostage. He. ”“Morning, daddy,” she replies, pecking him on the cheek. Being in each other’s presence is easier than they anticipated. They eat together, finding topics that have nothing to do with last night, laughing together like they always do. They’re both thinking about last night, but neither of them show it.A couple weeks pass the same way. Mat goes to work managing the railyard in the industrial depot, Abby sitting in school, both of them thinking about each other every day. They still eat dinner.