Awake Once More

Sonia sat upright in her bed, multiple pillows piled behind her back to support her. She was holding a large cup of hot tea in her hands while being checked over by one of the medically trained priests. She was looking out of a small window when they saw her, little of her expression was visible, but the tightness around her lips told them how she felt.

Supposedly the very first thing she had done was try to stand, wobbling to her door before becoming unable to walk. It was because of that that her status was discovered, with many in the cloister breaking from their training and rushing to what tasks were required to aid her. When she had drunk some water and was once again able to speak, she had asked 'how long do we have?' She had been like this since discovering the answer.

"She's in an understandably bad mood. I think you two're the only ones that could lift it right now. So go and lift it. Better have good news for her." Orion's voice was solemnly quiet.

"Well actually -" Simon began.

"I don't want to hear it. I don't want whatever you say affecting how I do my job. Sonia's back now so she's in charge. Tell it to her." Orion bounded away, clearly refusing to let his joy show in the face of current circumstances.

"Ah, Hallsteel, sturdy as always. Well, what can you do." Gideon turned from Orion's receding figure and peered back into the room. "I for one am looking forward to seeing Sonia so helpless. She's always so hard faced you know." Gideon sauntered in.

Simon considered waiting until he was done, going in one after the other, but with time as limited as it was, he felt it best not to waste what little they had.

"Sonia, how good it is to see you awake! Ah, but your beauty sleep turned out terribly. Let's liven you up a little shall we?" Gideon tried to lift the mood.

"I'm fine Gideon. Enough of that." Sonia shut him down firmly enough to accept no rebuttal.

"Sonia, are you ok? I know you must be frustrated, but we've managed to keep things going so far. We're figuring something out."

"I am frustrated Simon yes. I should have been here, I should have been guiding you all, and you especially. Of all the damn times to have made a mistake like this!" She almost screamed in anguished rage, her first punching her leg beneath the bedsheets. "I was cocky. I intended to fight using only the basics, to provide you a lesson amidst the battle. I thought our enemy was brash and inexperienced, that even if he was an Archbishop, I could use that against him. Instead, I've been stuck here unable to help you all in the most important of times, and all because of my damn stupidity."

Simon couldn't respond. Sonia's anger and self loathing had exploded so suddenly that it was all he could do to process it. Gideon seemed shocked into a rare silence as well, his face grim and wracked with pain.

"I've doomed us all, haven't I? One damn stupid decision and now I've let everyone down, everyone one relied on me. Our failure would be entirely my own to bear, any victory would be thanks in no part to me."

Simon had never seen Sonia like this before, even on that first day in the dining hall she had maintained her composure. Her long held stress and self doubt had reached their limit and had to be unleashed.

"Damnit all! If only I'd -" A sharp clap silenced her tirade. Gideon's slap had come firm and unrestrained.

"I'm sorry Sonia, at another time perhaps I would have let you continue. But not now. You made a vow. Pull yourself together, your people need you." Gideon's words bit as sharp as his strike.

Sonia held her face with one arm, eyes wide as she stared at Gideon, her dishevelled appearance a stark contrast to her often refined figure.

"Gideon, she's been unconscious for weeks! What the hell are you doing! If she needed to let it out then let her!"

"Be quiet Simon." Gideon's tone came bitter and steel. "I have known Sonia far longer than you. I did what was necessary."

"But that doesn't mean that you can just hit her like that!"

"Gideon is right Simon. I was not acting myself. I could think of no more suitable reminder. It was not right of me to wallow in my tragedy even as you all had been working so effortlessly these past two weeks. Please, just give me some time to gather myself, I will invite you back when I am ready."

Simon's eyes darted between her and Gideon, unsure how to feel. Ultimately, he decided to swallow his doubts and follow behind Gideon out of the room.

"I'm sorry you had to see that Simon. I promise I enjoyed it as little as you. I know her. If she had been allowed to continue she would never have been able to forget the shame of it. She'd have closed herself away even more." Gideon inspected the hand he had struck her with. "She values her pride to a fault, letting her shatter her dignity further would have only been impotence."

Simon wanted to retort, to defend Sonia in some way, but he knew that Gideon was right. He had made the unpleasant decision of doing what she needed in the moment. Gideon did not need to be punished any further for it. His conflicted guilt was evident in his words.

"I won't say you did the right thing. But I understand."

They waited together in silence. Neither said another word.

"I need a report on the developments since I was last awake. Have the enemy accelerated their approach?" Sonia had composed herself, while her hair remained messy, she had spent some time washing her face and had put on a fresh batch of clothes. She had foregone her armour for the moment, perhaps because it was too heavy. 

Sonia was still recovering from her lethargy, currently leaning over the strategy room table, propping herself up with what strength she could. Both Simon and Gideon had offered to assist her, which she had summarily refused. The two stood opposite her now instead.

"We still have about a week. Nothing's changed there" 
Gideon added to Simon's report. "Yes, they seem to be pushing themselves quite hard at their current pace already. If their Archbishop's death affected their plans at all, they have yet to show it."
"Any change in their numbers?"

"None as far as we're aware."

"Have the training drills been proceeding well?"

"We don't really know, we think so but you probably need to ask Orion."

"The mapping team?" She looked at Gideon.
"Long done with their initial work I am pleased to say. The transport team should also have completed their task by now, but I'm afraid Hallsteel will have to confirm that as well."
"Alright. I'm comforted to know our plans have proceeded apace. Have we gathered more supplies in preparation for a siege?"

"Uh, well we don't really know. I think we should probably have invited Orion for this, he's the one that's been running everything while we've been busy."

Sonia pushed herself off the table, attempting to stand straight before thinking better of it and sitting in the seat behind her. "How is it that you two know so little? Was Orion not keeping you appraised? I will have to speak to him immediately." She looked toward Gideon. "Have you told Simon our strategy?"

"Two questions with one answer. How convenient. I'll let Simon answer this."

Simon nodded confidently. "We've spent the last week working so that I could cast the spell when it was needed. We hadn't left my room in that time so we didn't get a chance to ask Orion about anything, we knew he would've told us if something had changed with the attack so we let him manage everything."

Sonia interrupted urgently. "Have you achieved any success?"

"Yes, we've thought of a few things. We've refined the spell so it's easier to cast and Hethoria told us about connecting to our medallions. Last night we managed to conjure our first proper portal. It's still weak and we need to do a lot more, but we think we can do it."

Sonia sighed in relief. "That is heartening news. Good work, both of you. Do you think you would benefit from my help?"

Gideon nodded at Simon, leaving the choice to him.

"I don't think so. We've managed to get into a good flow so I think it'd be better we didn't risk messing that up. Gideon's a good teacher too, so he's been able to guide me through everything step by step, even the stuff he didn't know."

Gideon clearly enjoyed the compliment, smiling proudly beside him. "If you think that's best then so be it. I had hoped to teach you myself but I trust you know what best serves you." Sonia pushed herself to stand before slumping back into her seat. "I will rest some more before resuming my duties from Orion, I'll ask him what I need to know then. I won't take any more of your time, you'll be needing every second of it. Good luck."

"Thank you." Both replied in unison.

"But we won't be needing it." "We'll need it." Both digressed.