Chapter 177 Blood and Snow.
The Battlefield.
In the east, the soldiers clad in red, silver, and gold withdrew in good order toward an encampment situated far from the city. Before the walls, the Army of Colina Alba maintained control of the gate and the fields. Their sector was secured.
In the center, the soldiers, both mounted and on foot, fled the fields following the charge of the knights of the Queen. They retreated to the northeast and joined the others at the encampment. The gate of the king was secured, and all the Pegasi returned to the nest after helping to break the enemy cavalry.
In the west, the companies fled in a panicked rout. They scattered across various locations in groups of varying sizes. Their structure ceased to exist following the battle. Soldiers from Puerto Blanco, Colina Verde, and Islas Reales entered the city, following Duke Wulfhelm and Lady Sorcha, who walked alongside a Pegasus exhausted from having flown too much.
Upon an insignificant hill, three spears held a corpse upright. His helmet lay on the ground, and his face was clearly visible to anyone who approached. Aurelio, the Count of War of a dead king, was displayed, without reverence or respect.
The nest.
In the common room, the riders embraced. They had been flying for days without sufficient rest. They had seen the enemy army flee. Marcela and Bonita brought them food and drink. They embraced them as well. Part of the family of the air was gathered together again.
There were eight Pegasi in their nests. Some of the nests were quickly cleaned and prepared by servants and riders for new occupants. It had been years since the nests had housed so many Pegasi. The All-Mother stood on the stone path.
A servant in the watchtower whistled and shouted: Pegasus!
The riders ran toward the wooden path and looked up. The Pegasus had dark brown fur with red spots. Its wings were dark brown, and one of them was missing its tip.
Hernando: A Bad Feather.
Néstor: Do not call them that. They fought for our queen. If they land in the nest, they are family.
Chara: Kindness. Treat everyone as if they were family.
Hernando: Yes. Flori, come with me. If he lands, we will need herbs and dried fish for him.
After a few minutes of circling, the Pegasus approached the nest and landed with ease. He walked timidly toward the All-Mother, who was only slightly larger than he was. No one knew what the Pegasus was thinking, but the thoughts of the All-Mother were clear to everyone.
All-Mother: Now this is your nest. The humans could help you. You are wounded.
Nestor and Volker positioned themselves beside him, began extracting an arrow from his leg, and dressed the wound.
In the air, above the nest, more Pegasi began to circle. By the time the sun set, thirteen had landed. Each one received a little food and treatment for his wounds. They slept in clean, dry, and warm spaces for the first time in years or decades.
The stone bridge.
The queen stopped, breathing with difficulty. The other three were the same. Their descent of the stairs from the nest to the bridge had taxed them.
Olivia: These stairs are difficult. Luckily, it is not night, it is not raining, and there are no soldiers following us.
Danilo laughed nervously: Yes, I cannot forget the fear of that night.
Lupita: When we left, no one had a Pegasus. Now, everyone has a mount.
Kerstin: And you have the All-Mother, like the elderly priest.
Lupita: Yes, I cannot believe it. I still do not know why I was chosen for this.
The queen gazed out at the fields stretching before the walls. The sun was veiled, but the light was sufficient to see a large part of the landscape. She began to weep. Lupita embraced her, and Kerstin touched her arm. The priest looked over her shoulder. The green and yellow fields were stained with large patches of blood. He could see three Pegasi lying motionless on the ground. The bodies of Unicorns, horses, and humans lay everywhere. The battle had been fierce and the cost very high.
The Sisters of Shadow began to traverse the fields with a large number of servants and militiamen. They searched for the people who were still alive. If they could save them, their tabards did not matter. They covered those who had died and tried to offer comfort to those who were dying. Their mercy to the wounded and dying made them a rare group respected by every side of every battle. Their task would last for days.
As they watched, several groups walked slowly toward the city. Some were riding horses or Unicorns. Many of them were pulling sleds with people lying upon them. The visible colors belonged to the houses that had fought for the Queen. One group was more numerous, and its members appeared tall and clad in strange garments that did not originate from Costa Lunas. Little by little, the groups converged as they approached the walls and the defensive gate.
A group of soldiers formed ranks in front of the gate, and one of them sounded a signal with his horn.
Olivia: Danilo, do you know what horn signals mean?
The Priest: Some, yes. That poses a challenge. It indicates that those who approach need to identify themselves. It is a formality but the challenged must sound a retirn upon their honor.
A man mounted on a unicorn sounded his horn loudly and slowly. He repeated the signal and then gave another that was very different.
Kerstin: What do those mean?
The man fell silent. A moment later, the girls looked at him. He was crying but smiling.
The Queen: Priest?
Danilo: The two slow ones are the signal that they are friendly soldiers. The third one means victory. Aurelio is dead.
Olivia hugged him. They wept together. The other women embraced with relief.
The Queen: What is going to happen next?
Danilo: You have some decisions to make. But they can wait until tomorrow. Tonight, we can get some rest and look for information about our friends and...
Olivia: Yes, there were people in this battle who were important to many others. Let us head down to the castle through the tower.
As they walked slowly across the bridge toward the stairs of the great tower, it began to snow softly. In the fields, some of the bloodstains were covered by the beautiful snow.