The trip to the holding house seemed to be endless. Storm tried to mask Ewan?s body with the trees around her, but she didn?t have the attention for it, so she took a moment to shed her cloak off of her physical self and place it over his naked body; it didn?t fit well. She went as fast as she felt he could handle, and it was painfully slow. She couldn?t feel her anxiety and urgency in her elemental form, but she stayed focused only on their direction and the feather-light pulse seen in Ewan?s neck.

Finally, Storm materialized just in front of the holding house, still carefully carrying Ewan. Her body had too much adrenaline to feel tired, but still ? Ewan was big, and she was already without sleep. When those inside took one look at Ewan, they all seemed to flutter in organized directions, ?I will just set him down,? she reassured, carefully turning his body through a hallway and door. As tenderly as possible, she lowered him to the available bed. Healers, arcane and not, were already doing their assessments. Storm wasn?t done with her evening ? but she had brought him back and he was still breathing. Her relief would be staggering if she had time to feel and think about it. Instead she found an untouched place on his forehead and pressed a gentle kiss there, ?Hang in there.? Don?t leave me was a phrase that couldn?t exit through the tightness of her throat. Standing straight, Storm knew where she would need to be next. ?I will return tonight.? It was a promise to those attending Ewan, and it took all of her strength to exit the holding house and move on.

Isaac and Theral were still left attended but without direction. Storm made her trip back to the stone building with the speed of the wind. Bruised clouds rumbled with the occasional thunder with the darkening of her mood. The worry and fear over Ewan had lessened to a more manageable level, but her anger had only risen. She appeared several feet in front of the entrance as to not startle those guarding the door. It seemed quiet compared to the chaos that seemed days ago. Storm didn?t know what the Tunneler?s did with those inside, and she didn?t care. Her mind was only on the two men down the stairs.

Her boots were silent as she walked down the stairs. There was a eerie silence accompanied by the smell of blood and death, at least until a howl of pain came from within the room with the missing door. And just outside of it, she found Compass, watching over those that had been left alive. There was much in the silent communication of their gaze, but Compass turned and headed up the stairs. Storm didn?t walk in front of the opened door, and still could hear the delicate breathing down the hall from Theral.

?I know you are there. Who are you?? Isaac?s words were laced with pain, fear, and some type of command.

Storm didn?t respond to the command, instead she created a strong bond of air around Theral?s ankle and dragged him across the hall and to her. His startled surprise came in grunts as his injured head kept continuous contact with the stone ground. It wasn?t until Theral was at her feet that Storm stepped over the threshold while dragging Theral behind her. Isaac was still held to the ground with the knife through his palm and the stone. There was a lot of blood ? Ewan?s blood ? that made Isaac?s hand seem like a simple scrape.

The aid of light gave her the satisfaction of seeing recognition within both Theral?s and Isaac?s eyes. However, when Isaac opened his mouth for words, Storm silenced their mouths and kept any words from having any sound. Instead they each had to cough as if they were choking on their words. ?Now, we are going to have to have a serious chat, you and me.? The fury was unsheltered and bare in her glowing eyes as she looked down at Isaac. With a simple flick of her wrist, Theral was picked up from the floor and shoved against the wall. He grunted from the impact but managed to keep his consciousness. ?However, the only conversation that we are going to have is about the terrible mistake you have made.? She could see the fear of the unknown in his eyes. She knew he didn?t know how her eyes glowed like that, and how she could command the wind with just a thought. Usually the alienation bothered her, but tonight it gave her an advantage.

She leaned down over Isaac?s pinned hand, keeping the air dense over him to keep him still. She considered ripping his hand out of the knife, but instead loosed the stone beneath the knife so that she could unceremoniously pull the knife out with strength that belied her arms. What would have been sounds of screams manifested only in a series of coughs and tears to the corners of Isaac?s eyes. His hand started to gush, but Storm was unconcerned with it. She was more gentle in her force of picking Isaac up and pinning him against the wall next to Theral.

?You have severely overlooked the aspects of Ewan life.? She watched them try to struggle against the wall they couldn?t see, and stepped closer to them at a leisurely pace, ?It is a mistake with severe consequence. And if Ewan does not make it, you can be sure that your mistake will cost your life.? She sneered and spat in Isaac?s face, ?Every time you see me, you will think of your biggest mistake. You did not realize that I am a bigger threat to you than Ewan ever will be.? She was rather certain that statement wasn?t true. However, given their powerless state and the red haze of boiling anger, it seemed true to the moment. ?I followed this man,? with the bloody knife still in hand, she lifted it to rest just under Theral?s chin, and he held his head high up in fear, ?right into your hiding place. He led me straight to you.? Keeping her eyes locked on Isaac?s, Storm moved the knife swiftly through Theral?s heart and gave it a twist.

Painful silence seemed like a good time for the healers to give Storm time alone with Ewan. Slowly, Storm sat on the edge of the single bed that Ewan?s sleeping body occupied. He was covered with white bandages with a skin tone to match. He had lost a lot of blood ? but he was going to make it. He needed to wake, but at least his body would recover the natural way. His body would have a variety of new scars, but as far as Storm was concerned, Ewan was just trying to catch up to her.

?He was stabbed in his heart. The wound is still there, but his heart has been healed in order to keep him alive. The healing is not perfect. His heartbeat is irregular.?

With a leather-light touch, Storm brushed her fingers over the bandage covering his heart. The unseen damage to his vital organ concerned her deeply. His wounds would heal, but the heart could have a variety of complications. He wouldn?t be able to run for long, wouldn?t be able to handle physical stress. It was a stroke of fate that his body could handle what he had been through. Gently, Storm brushed her fingers through his hair. With a heart like that, Ewan would have to seriously reconsider what it meant to be the Master of Arms and the right-hand man to the Yransea.

Her hand paused.

He wouldn?t have to leave anymore. They would need to find another with a healthy heart to perform the dangerous tasks. The implications of Ewan?s new condition would change almost everything. He would be able to stay at home, out of harms way, and teach at his school. He could live past his prime, grow old, and see his grandchildren. It could erase everything Storm worried about in Ewan?s life.

Slowly, Storm kept moving her fingers through his hair again. He wouldn?t be able to teach his sons to spar and wear them down without experiencing pain. And there was a darkness to Ewan that Storm knew needed his body and his energy. What would happen when Ewan was limited in releasing that darkness? Storm didn?t know if it would disappear or find a new way to manifest.

It pained her deeply to know that he would have to live with these limitations. No matter how much it would settle her heart to have him near, he was so young to experience such a dangerous condition. Although, she knew it didn?t have to be so bad. If she tried to heal his heart a bit, take part of that unto herself, then his heart would be able to handle most of his usual activities. Her body was strong, and a small amount of damage would only conflict if she ever tried to keep up with him. Her gift would not be affected.

He probably would never forgive her for doing it. Ewan had made her promise long ago that she wouldn?t do it for him. Ever. It might be enough to push him away from her for good. Just the thought threatened to drive her mad with grief. But... at least he would be able to run without risking injury. He could do what he felt he did best, and could do it well. A little scar tissue on her heart meant something different than the larger amount of scar tissue on his.

Taking a deep breath, Storm closed her eyes and placed her middle fingers on both sides of his temple. She would take half of his injury, and have a matching heart to his.

"No." The answer was without hesitation, "She made her choices. It was her own folly to be unaware of my gift. Same with Theral and the man that is chained by my element in the safe house." Her lips pulled back to a thin line, "After I knew which room you were in, I kept Theral in place, pulled out the door, and kept the man in the room with you in one place with a knife held in stone through his hand. I then brought you here, and went back for Theral and the man. Theral and others were left in the building when I pulled it down. The only one I cared to keep was the one."

Ewan stiffened the moment she said that the man, who could only be Isaac, was in the house. His throat tightened as he growled out. "Isaac is here?"

"Not here. In whatever safe house they had kept Ferret. Relax." Concern etched her features at his reaction. But instead of relaxing, he released her and tried to sit up. It brought the wave of a newborn headache crashing into his mind. "Do not be foolish." Storm was quicker than him at the moment, and she was swift to sit up and keep him down, "You are in no state to see him. I will force you to stay here if you argue with me." She had yet to use her gift against him, but the look in her eyes made it clear that she was being serious.

"You could..." and he cut himself short. No, when he faced Isaac, he would be standing on his own. "Very well." He closed his eyes and lay down once more. "So it is done then, and only my heart to see if there can be anything done to heal it better. Though, I am surprised it is not troubling as much as I thought it would."

Storm didn't move to lay back down with him. Instead she continued to sit up and looked away, "My night was not over. May I finish it for you?"

"Please." He worried then, looking up at her. He did not draw her back to him with the way she looked away.

She couldn't look at him as she took another deep breath. She didn't want to see his loving face turn angry, "After I dealt with Isaac, I came back here, to see how you were doing. They had bandaged you up by then, and explained to me the extent of your injuries. That you had been.. stabbed, and though outside the wound was raw, but inside it had been healed, though poorly done. They didn't want to try and see if they could fix it, particularly with you not being awake yet. But," she swallowed and gently shook her head, "I understood what they were telling me; the way the poor healing would manifest when you were well. You would not be able to be who you are now. Physical activities would be painful and difficult, and you would be in pain often. And.. " she wiped under her eyes again, "and when you were older, it could cause more problems and concerns. That was.. difficult. I was too late to help prevent it. To have barely gotten to you in enough time, to then know that your life could not be the same. So.. I broke my promise." She closed her eyes tightly, "I tried to heal it. Not all the way, just enough so that you can have the life that you had."

He heard her words, but they seemed to go out of order and in a whirl of thoughts lost their meaning. A moment to think, to hear them all again, let them settle in place, and he knew that it was anger that had thrown the words into chaos. He had not wanted to hear them correctly. The broken promise, the very idea that she had taken part of the wound into herself. For all her reasoning, he still could not get past the broken promise or the danger of it. "Do you," he stopped and tried not to growl out the words, "do you even know why I asked you to make that promise?"

"Aside from not wanting harm to come to me?" Storm shrugged and shook her head, "I decided it did not matter. Your quality of life was more important to me. And if that meant that you would be angry with me and.. and would leave, at least you could yell and run while doing it." She opened her eyes and rubbed at more tears, but still she couldn't bring herself to look down at him.

"And just how much damage do you think you can take before we both become unable to properly care for our children! I am mortal, Storm, you are not. Let our family be assured of at least one parent surviving to take care of them." The yelling made his head swim, and he closed his eyes again, slowing his breathing, forcing to calm down. Every inch of him burned with a need to rip off the bandages and scratch, but he knew better. He knew it was his own frustration, the mind trying to overwhelm the body. Could he get up? Likely. Should he? No. So, he lay there and kept his eyes closed and his breathing slowing down. "I had you make that promise because I knew there would come times like this, and even worse. I love that you are a strong, powerful woman because I have no fear that should I die, or become less than what I was before, our children will be protected. You allow me to be who I am, but you must allow it always, not just when you feel I am safe. I am so angry, but...I will not lose you over this either and become half of what I am inside. Storm, I will ask you again, to promise me to never heal me."

That final relief was too much; she placed her face in her hands and tried to keep her weeping under control. Her life had been turned upside down, and desperation and fear pushed her to boundaries she hadn't crossed in ages. All for the bandaged man lying next to her. And she knew from the depths of her middle that she would do it again and again for him. "Why promise? I am severely sorry for breaking my promise, but I am not sorry for what I have done. I would do it all over again." She pulled up on her sleeves to assist in drying her face, "I understand the chances I have taken. I did not heal the wound, or any of your other ailments. I will be there for our children, but I will try with all that I am to keep you next to me."

The deep breath sent new aches through his body. "This discussion is not over, but I cannot do it now. I cannot argue with you now." But he could not send her away while she was weeping either. "I need rest. Lay down beside me a short while, and then find some sleep for yourself, please." He had to think and do so without her there. Just how important was it to him that she accept this limitation? It would take some time for him to puzzle it out.

With a slow glance over to him, Storm felt a new layer of guilt. His coloring wasn't right, and it was obvious that he was fighting against pain and fatigue. With a slow nod, she was careful to lay back down beside him and take up as little room as possible for him. "I am sorry, I know you need to rest. I just know your reaction would have been worst if I had not told you first." It was with a hesitant hand that she lifted to gently run her fingers through his hair, "But I will stay here with you till you slumber."

Ewan shifted so Avery had room without ruffling his obvious discomfort. "Avery, I know how troubling this must be. I do know, just not imagine. My father was a soldier, too. I was so angry at times, when he would go away, when he would come back injured and always the worry. But there is no way for me to tell you and be truthful that it will not happen again. It will happen again. It may one day be even worse than this. What I need you to believe is that my choices, my obligations, never have and never will diminish how much I care about you and Kellan. I am a soldier, and I fight for people who cannot fight for themselves. I do this because I have the ability. And just as you have a clever mind and a quick strong spirit, we would not want you to shirk your abilities either. Does anything of what I said make sense to you?"

Storm licked her lips at the mentioning of being able to use his abilities. Still, it was not a thought to have with her children present, and so she leaned forward slightly, "Do you remember what else I told you, Avery?"

He waited a moment, before nodding, *That you and Daddy will take care of each other the same way you will for me and Kellan."

"Yes, we are doing just that. Your father helps those that cannot help themselves, and when he comes home, we take care of him, no matter what."

He considered this for several moments, absently petting Kellan's toy for the younger boy's amusement, *You will always try to come home, right?*

"Avery, I will always try." Ewan looked to Storm, and seeing that this was making her uncomfortable as well, he smiled back to Avery. "Besides, what man would not want to come home to such a family as this to have take care of him in his need? I will feel quite well looked after."

*I take care of mom. I can take care of you, too.* Of this, Avery looked certain. He didn't touch them, but he gestured to the bandages on Ewan's arm, *Do they hurt a lot? What are they?* Storm leaned back in the chair and frowned slightly at that last question.

Storm's sour look was a little unsettling. Ewan was doing his best to be truthful but positive with the children. "The bandages are made of a very loose weave of cloth. I have cuts along my body, and there is a blend of herbs and water that will help the cuts heal. It itched some the other day and it aches a little, but each day is better. I was up and walking this morning for a little stretch." Ewan looked down at the book in Storm's hand, and up to her. "They returning to school tomorrow or no?"

"Yes. It has already been a few days. They spent a couple of days with my father."

"And Wish." Kellan felt it was important to add the furry companion.

"Yes, and Whisper."

Ewan smiled at Kellan, suddenly struck at how much the boy had grown, and he petted the plush again. "How is your father?" He asked of Storm.

"Well, thank you. He wishes you a speedy recovery." It didn't strike Storm till now that Ewan might be uncomfortable with what she had shared with her father. It was not a concern at the time.

*When can you come home?* Avery wrinkled hi nose slightly, *This place smells.. different.*

"It smells at is meant to look. Unexceptional. And I do not know when I can come home. I suppose your mother could ask the healers attending me when they think it is most likely."

There was a twitch to the corner of her mouth of amusement, "I am surprised you have not asked already." She brushed a few strands of hair over her shoulder, "I can take you home safely, if they feel that I can maintain your care alone. I would imagine it still may be a couple of days, if you wish."

His mind had been on other thoughts than precisely where his care was taking place, but he allowed for a smile and nod. "Verian is on duty today, just down the hall, if you care to speak with her, or I could call her in if you prefer for the boys to hear it all."

After speaking of including the boys to hear the news, Storm didn't want to suddenly exclude them. "I will go get her." She stood, and tested the waters by giving Ewan's closest hand a light squeeze before exiting out of the room. It would only take Storm a minute to find Verian and bring her to the room. "Verian, we were curious as to when Ewan could be ready to return home. I can give him a painless passage home and cleanse his bandages according to instruction."

Verian was a solemn woman, with the first signs of middle age crowded at the corners of her eyes. She looked to Ewan first, but when he gave his nod, she answered. "I can instruct you to his care if you wish to do so, and he is able to travel today. The injury to his heart is one to be monitored, but no current danger. The bandages are sufficient to his other injuries. He is to rest, be kept warm, and eat frequently in small portions."

*I can come read to you.* Avery offered, and then added, *and teach you a new card game I made up.*

"Very well." She turned to Ewan then, and took a moment to study him. There were reserved features and a tightness to him that she hadn't seen in a long time. It pained her heart to know that she was the cause of it, "I will take you home when you are ready, then." She didn't want to push him, and gave him the option to stay if wanted, no matter how much she would rather him come home.

Ewan looked from Avery to Kellan and back again. "I do have a craving for your mother's vegetable soup. If I were to come home, do you think we could persuade her to make some?"

Kellan didn't really seem interested anymore. Instead his lids were half-shut with his toy in his arms and close between his father and brother. Avery however, couldn't sign and beg fast enough, *Oh please, mom! I will even help!*

It was the first chuckle Storm had in days, "Yes yes, all right." A small smile stayed on her lips as she looked over to Verian, "Show me what I will need to do."