Sar'ran had brought Phalon up to the back of the crowd and I made my way through them and mounted up. Sar'ran had already lightened the load by taking off Phalon's battle armor and I thanked him for it.
Sar'ran gripped my arm and looking down to his face I saw tears make their way through the soot that caked all our faces. Meeting his eyes I said, "I will be back and I will ride with all my friends again. We have yet more battles to face together, of this I am sure."
He gave a firm nod and let go, even as Jarken handed both of my swords up to me. I waved farewell and took off for the broken gate of the city, not waiting for Mayrin and her band of warriors.
As I streamed down the mountain valley I heard Mayrin and the others catch up. Vella was before me in the distance across the length of Ayenathurim, but my mind was filled with the sad reality that I still could not go to my family that I had left in Crona, even though I had won this last battle.
The battle of this night was just to be the first of many, even now I rode towards a battle of the spiritual. I was committed to the task of freeing Kuri's people in Vella, but I hoped that El Elyon handled the Witch. Indeed, it was out of concern for what the Witch could do that had in large part made up my mind to leave my personal army here.
This coming battle with a powerful Witch would be far different than any physical engagement of war such as this night had heralded and yet I had confidence it could be won. I had confidence because Kuri thought I could do it and if he believed so then I knew that even so it would be done.