But eventually, the adrenaline wore off.

Gerrick pressed on, leading them out of the dangers of the tall grass, into Sine's environment: the open forest. The pain in Gerrick's side grew to an angry physical scream, and he let Sine take the lead. Ansley supported him from his right as Jonas and Fearghas carried Spider between them.

Gerrick muttered, "Digs..."

"Sh." Ansley grunted as she supported him. "Ye know he made it. Nothin' can catch that scunner."

Gerrick nodded, saying a silent prayer for Dig's safety.

Spider heaved pained breaths. "Mates, you have to leave me."

"No." Gerrick swallowed back nausea. "No one gets left behind."

"I'm slowing you down."

"We left behind two, I'm nae leavin' anyone else!"

"Nor am I." Jonas looked at Spider firmly.

Fearghas added, "I just met you, mate. I'm not saying goodbye this early."

Spider breathed rapidly, managing a pained smile at Fearghas. "Gerrick, he's...he's a good one can we..." Spider swallowed hard against the pain. "Can we keep him?"

Gerrick nodded. "Aye. We can."

After an hour, their bodies finally gave way to wound and exhaustion. Sine found them a cave to hole up in. Ansley finally managed to build a fire out of wet wood, with a lot of help from Sine, who also set a bear-trap at the mouth of the cave. Gerrick made sure everyone took note of its location.

against all desire, against all imperative need, they fell asleep, huddled together for warmth.

But Gerrick did not sleep long. Thunder in the sky and thunder in his heart woke him up. He had dreamt of Rose and Giacomo. He had dreamt the hard task of telling little Dennis that his sister had died.

Ms. Corbin had been through much to lose her daughter. Gerrick was not looking forward to that.

He momentarily entertained the idea of asking Da to do it for him, but then crushed that idea with what was left of his resolve.

"Nae," he thought, "she deserves tae hear it from me."

Minutes, hours, Gerrick could not tell. The time passed only in pain. Soon, he heard Jonas and Fearghas conversing quietly, with Jonas being politely evasive about his own past. Soon, Ansley snuggled up to Gerrick and whispered, "Are ye alright?"

Gerrick stared blankly ahead at the mough of the cave. "I've been better."

She gave him a comforting touch on the side of his head.

Gerrick shivered a little as the pain in his side twinged. "Rose and Giacomo are dead because they followed me."

"That's the nature of what we did," she said. "But many more will live because we followed ye."

Gerrick nodded. "I hope so."

Gerrick could not say when he drifted off, but he could say when he woke up.

The metalic SNAP of a bear-trap.

"GYAAAGH! GODS DAMMIT!"

Gerrick jerked awake with his dirks out. Ansley raised her crossbow. Sine drew her dirks and raised them for a bloody fight.

Da shook his left leg, causing the chain of the trap to jingle. "SINE!"

Digs, Malcolm, and Donald pushed ahead of a small platoon of Inverray soldiers.

Sine gasped back a laugh, red in the face. "Sorry, M'Laird! I'm comin'!"

"Ye vauntie kreeshie boggle," Da grumbled at Sine. But he winked at her with a smile. Sine returned the sentiment.

Digs stood in front of Gerrick. He smiled, but there was the shadow of regret on his face. His skin was royal blue today. "I told yer da' everythin'."

Malcolm looked at Gerrick in earnest worry. "Who ye got who's wounded."

Ansley answered. "Gerrick an' Spider."

Malcolm reached for Gerrick. "Come on, lad. Put yer arms aroond ma neck." Gerrick obeyed reflexively. "Donald, get Spider."

"I'm nae touchin' 'im! 'E's got spiderweb plague!"

Jonas stood up, glaring at Donald angrily, with Fearghas right next to him. Fearghas said bitterly, "Then step back and let his mates get him." He bent down to lift Spider, with Jonas's help.

Once Da was free, he braced himself up on his Hammer. "Alrigh'. Back tae the jolly-boat an' up tae the Longsword. Gerrick, ye can tell yer tale on the way."

That night, Gerrick stared at the ceiling of the Hearth and Shell. He and all the surviving Troublemakers were there, some in beds close to his own, some keeping watch in chairs. Michael Scott moved among them, tending their wounds and bruises, and Father Bullrush of the Vermillion Spear spoke quietly with Malcolm and Mary Gray. Aifric glared at Gerrick from Sine's beside. "That was stupid, Gerrick."

"Aye, I know."

"Almost gettin' ma girlfriend and ma sister killed. Do it again an' I'll wear yer guts fer garters."

"Ye're welcome tae try," Gerrick snarled.

Sine smiled. "Ye're cute when ye're angry, Aifric."

"I am?"

She winked at him.

Malcolm stood in front of Fearghas's bed. His wife stood behind him, regarding Fearghas appreciatively.

Fearghas looked at him in uncertain fear.

Malcolm drew his dirk. "Ye're the one who killed th' Priest of the Scarred Mother, aye?"

Fearghas stared at the dirk, wide-eyed. "Aye..."

"This is ma dirk. It's got the MacBoon crest an' motto inscribed on it." With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the dirk up, catching it by the flat of its blade. "Next time ye have tae cut a throat tae save ma brother--" He held it out to Fearghas, "--I want ye usin' the right tool for the job."

Fearghas looked at it appreciatively. "Oh sir..."

Malcolm glared at Fearghas seriously. "Ye wield it. Nae the other way 'roond." He glanced at Gerrrick with disturbingly uncharacteristic seriousness. "An' that goes double fer ye, brother."

Mary Gray smiled at Gerrick. "Ye're a good lad, Gerrick."

Gerrick smiled warmly.

Malcolm turned to walk out. "Goodnight, all."

Michael Scott looked at Gerrick deadpan. "They should be fine with a night's rest, assuming they can resist the urge to engage in any more death-defying stupidity."

Sine flipped him the two-fingered snog-off. Gerrick just grinned. "Glad tae see ye too, Michael."

Michael ignored them both, exiting after Malcolm.

Father Bullrush watched them go. He stood in front of Gerrick, his arms folded.

Gerrick looked up to him, hopefully.

"Do you understand the magnitude of your actions?"

Gerrick felt a twinge as he remembered Giacomo saluting with his saber for the final time, and Rose charging the gatehouse captain like an enraged badger, bringing him to his death with the last of her life. He remembered the weight of fearing he had led them all to their deaths, and the exhilleration of watching Fearghas save them all. He remembered the adrenaline rush of calling out his plan to rush the stairs with Spider as a battering ram, and the feel of glory as they escaped into the rain-soaked grass.

"Because of you," Father Bullrush said, "We know more about our enemy. We know about their ships, how to damage them by aiming for the engines, and how they can't see ground troops through a thick rainstorm. Michael Scott will be helping conjure up a good cover-storm. General MacAigh and your father are going to lead a mission to re-capture Ballymoran outpost."

Gerrick looked alarmed. "No. They'll expect that--"

Father Bullrush raised one hand. "And your father knows that." he smirked at Gerrick. "You really need to learn who your father is, Gerrick. He's a very capable leader. He knows his business."

Gerrick nodded. "Aye. He does."

The priest smiled. "And so do you."

Gerrick looked askance at Father Bullrush.

The War-Priest smiled. "Congratulations, Master MacBoon. That mission you undertook so rashly was no small one. You and your platoon did very well. The Vermillion God says you passed your test. From now on, you will have access to our library." Father Bullrush turned to leave. "I suggest you ask our librarian about the name Vendale. I think you'll do very well with that one." The door shut behind him.

Gerrick sat in silence, basking in the glow.

Ansley squeezed his hand. "I'm proud a' ye, Gerrick."

Gerrick smiled at her. "I couldnae ha' done it wi'oot all a' ye."

Digs looked at Gerrick seriously. "Hey. We really showed them what's what didn't we?"

"Aye." Gerrick smiled. "We did."

Fearghas looked to Gerrick. "How'd it feel?"

Gerrick looked at him questioningly.

"You know," Fearghas shrugged. "Breaking into their fortress, snogging them off good and hard, and breaking out again?"

Gerrick thought hard. "It felt...like me."

Jonas smiled. "It felt like you to me, too."

Gerrick grinned at him.

Sine looked around at the room they were using as an infirmary now. "So what dae we do now?"

Afric caressed the top of her head. He glared at Gerrick. "Now ye all sleep."

Fearghas sighed. "I don't think I can."

"Me either," Digs said.

"Gerrick?" Spider smiled at him, his voice imitating a small child. "Would you tell us a story?"

Gerrick laughed. "Aye. I could."

Digs grinned. "Tell the one where yer Da ambushed his own men by accident."

Aifric said, "I wanna hear this joke Fearghas told the Venomir priest."

Sine rolled her eyes. "Not that shyte again!"

Gerrick looked at her, offended. "It's ma favorite joke!"

"It's nae funny anymore, Gerrick!"

Ansley laughed.

Gerrick grinned. "Fine. me Da's ambush." He took a deep breath. Ansley took his hand. "So this one time, Me Da went oot tae Gallowgate tae see what was goin' on wi' the trade routes there..."

And so it began.

Soon, they all reached across, joining hands. Before they knew it, they had passed the entire night telling stories to each other.

---

The old Tenzanese storyteller held his hand to the flame. "The foe's plan hinged on holding Ballymoran outpost. When Laird MacBoon retook it, he laid a trap, destroying a chunk of their fleet and sending them into disarrray. When The Red Dawn led the MacBoon fleet against them, it was a pitched battle--" he leaned forward, grinning. "But Inverray prevailed, against all expectation."

The Watcher scribbled furiously.

"The bodies of Giacomo and Rose Corbin were recovered," The storyteller went on. "Gerrick himself piped them home as heroes. They were buried as MacBoons, with a small cairn in the Inverray Keep courtyard as a silent memorial for all the fallen Troublemakers. It would later also be the monuments for Digs, who sacrificed himself to keep the Glacier from sinking into the clouds, and Spider, who died fighting the Plague, with his soul intact. then, later, two young recruits named Jake and Greenie, accidentally killed when an assassin failed to kill Gerrick himself."

The Watcher looked up. "And Dennis Corbin?"

The storyteller smiled. "Young Dennis grew to follow in his sister's steps, one of Gerrick's troublemakers. He also later brought Keavy the Squint into the fold. Now, they are a force to be reckoned with."

The Watcher stopped writing. "But this story is so full of embellishment. How do I distinguish fact from legend?"

He grinned. "The Father of Stories says, when fact becomes legend, tell the legend. And now, you have more to report to your own Lord." He sprinkled water onto the fire, causing it to die. "Here endeth the story. Happy endings to you, friend."

"Thank you." The watcher rose. "I will bring this story to my Lord. Godspeed, story-teller."

And with that, the Watcher turned to leave.

He would have much explaining to do to his God.