Steady Heartbeat

Aideen pressed the back of her hand against Tillian's burning forehead once more, chills running down her spine as the heat of her husband's skin seared her own. The fever showed no signs of abating, and he remained unconscious, lying completely still as if ready to succumb to the dark embrace of death.

When the Raven Knights set out to search for the Duke, they found him to the west of the forest, on the path leading to another, larger village within his fiefdom. It was evident that he was engaged in a fierce battle with a massive wolf beast that threatened to attack the villages, but he had managed to halt its advance.

Beneath the wolf's body, the knights discovered Tillian, his large black sword protruding from the beast's broad back. Though the monster had been defeated, it had inflicted several deep wounds on the Duke's chest and stomach. The long, wide gashes left by its claws were stained with his opponent's crimson blood.