After having seen to that Saga rested some more, Viggo left the bedroom to continue dealing with the aftermath of the night's events. His first stop, the library where he found Hrafen pouring over some books as was common.

"How has the healing gone?" Viggo asked as he stopped by the table Hrafen was seated at.

"The worst ones are dealt with. I'll deal with more minor ones tomorrow," the mage answered and yawned pointedly. Something which was unnecessary for him to convey the toil the healing had been. Hrafen was paler than usual and a faint scent of sweat came from him, two things Viggo knew only happened when the mage pushed himself to use more magic than he should.

"We'll need to send..." Viggo started, but Hrafen cut him off.

"I've already sent a report of the attack to the King. Even got a reply asking if we need any support, which I have declined."

"It's very uncommon for dire wolves and goblins..."

"Yes, it is very likely someone is orchestrating the attacks throughout the kingdom," Hrafen cut Viggo off again.

"The explosions?" Viggo said next, opting to not even formulate a full sentence. But this time Hrafen didn't answer immediately. The silence wasn't long. Only a beat. But long enough for Viggo to take notice.

"The dire wolves caused them," Hrafen then said and flipped a page in the book he was reading.

"The dire wolves? I've never before come across dire wolves with such magic." Viggo raised an eyebrow.

"It's uncommon, but not completely unheard of."

There were a lot of things Viggo wasn't well educated about. History and etiquette among other things. But when it came to the different monsters which roamed their lands, he knew it all. He had seen and killed enough of them to be sure his knowledge was extensive. And he had never heard of dire wolves with the ability to blow things up.

But he trusted Hrafen.

Viggo hadn't even been twenty when they had first met. Already then had the mage been arrogant and quite often unlikeable due to it, as well as had a tendency of overstepping boundaries. But Hrafen had again and again proven his capabilities and, more importantly, his loyalty. Apart from Audun, Hrafen was the one who Viggo had known the longest as well as the one who knew him the best. As such he was the only one who knew the true nature of Viggo and Audun's relationship, and it was through that which he had proven his loyalty. By watching over Audun during those times when Viggo hadn't been able to stay by his side.

But Viggo knew Hrafen wasn't one to always be forthcoming. He had caught the mage lying more than once, but every lie had had its purpose. So Viggo chose to believe this lie had a purpose as well.

"There's another matter I want to ask you about," Viggo changed the topic.

Hrafen had looked down into the book again, but raised his head with a quirked eyebrow.

"Is it possible to foresee the future?" Viggo asked.

The mage's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. "Of course, it is difficult magic, however. Why that sudden question?"

"Would it be possible for Saga to do it?" Viggo went straight to the heart of it. He hadn't slept at all that night, but first having dealt with ensuring the city was safe again, followed by watching Saga as she slept. During that time, he had thought over the worry for his safety she had shown. Considering how the attack had happened less than a day afterwards, he couldn't help but wonder if she had somehow known about it.

"What makes you think such a ridiculous thing?" Hrafen scoffed. "Foreseeing the future is, like said, difficult magic. An eighteen year old girl, who has shown no other magical abilities, would never be able to do such a feat."

"She worried about my safety yesterday morning," Viggo confessed. "As if she knew the attack was coming."

Hrafen shook his head and sneered. "That girl is far too weak for such magic."

Though Viggo didn't like Hrafen calling her weak, he couldn't deny the principle of what he had said. Saga's body was thin and with how easily she turned fearful, she really was fragile. She had other strengths, but if foreseeing the future was difficult, Viggo couldn't imagine her having the strength for it.

So he nodded at Hrafen. "One last thing before I leave you to rest. Would it be possible for you to create a magical device which can either stop monsters from coming down the mountain or, at the very least, warn if any are approaching?"

The mage's eyes gleamed a bit as his lips tugged upwards. An expression Viggo knew he always made when presented with what he deemed a fun challenge.

"It'll take time, but of course I can," Hrafen answered with an air of superiority.

"Good. Well, I'll let you rest now," Viggo then said before leaving the library.

Because of the attack, everything was rather quiet compared to usual. The knights had spent a lot of time even after it was over with burning the dire wolves and goblins, as such most of them spent the day resting instead of training, only those with tasks for the day which couldn't be ignored were out of their beds.

Viggo went to their housing, to Audun's room. The man opened the door only a second after Viggo had knocked, as if he had waited for the visit. Without being told to, Audun exited the room, and together they walked back to the castle, to Viggo's office where they had fought right before the attack.

"Have you talked to Saga?" Audun asked when the door had closed as he sat down on the couch.

"Yes," Viggo answered and stood leaning against the table in the room. Really, he wanted to sit down next to the other man, but felt uncertain if the close proximity would be welcomed considering how they had left things.

"Did you apologise?" Audun pressed on, and to Viggo's relief a smirk played on his lover's lips.

"I did," he confirmed.

"Wasn't as bad as you thought it would be, was it now?" The smirk had fully bloomed.

"No. Not the apologising in itself, but the way she reacted... She thought I would be mad and hurt her because she left the bedroom during the attack."

Audun's eyes widened. "Why would she think such a ridiculous thing?"

"She said because there are husbands who do hurt their wives when they disobey."

Viggo's body trembled repeating her words, and he clenched his fists to force the trembles away. Flashes from his own childhood played in his mind, of a time he rarely thought about, but that her words had effectively stirred.

"Come here," Audun said in a softer voice than normal, and Viggo obeyed, sinking down on the couch and allowing himself a rare moment of pure vulnerability by leaning his head on Audun's shoulder.

No words needed to be exchanged between them. Audun took hold of Viggo's hand, drew circles on the back of it, and every time Audun finished a circle the memories faded a bit more.

The memories of Viggo's mother beaten to death by the hands of his father, and his father beaten to death by his hands. Viggo had only been thirteen when it had happened, and since then he had used his strength to earn a living and survive. Every part of his life had been violence for four years. Until the day Audun, who had recently run away from home and joined a mercenary group, had sat down opposite him at an inn.

"I'm sorry I've been neglecting you," Viggo murmured and pulled his head up from Audun's shoulder to look at him. He placed a hand on his cheek. "You gave me a reason to live again, and you will always be the most important person in my life."

Audun sighed and closed his eyes. "I know. But it's one thing for you to say that. It's another for you to act as if that is the case."

"I'll do whatever you want." Viggo closed his eyes as well and leaned his forehead against Audun's.

"And all I want is more time like this, when it's just us."

"I promise. And I will uphold the promise as well." He pressed a soft kiss to Audun's lips. "I will kill everything in my way to reach you."

"And I will walk with you through fire."

Viggo smiled at the words. Both his and Audun's promise came from the same mission. A hoard of wyverns, which had been protecting a dragon egg. They had tried to stay next to each other, but hadn't managed. With several wyverns in the way, Viggo had seen Audun get hurt, and nothing had stopped him until he had reached him. Viggo had tried to stop Audun from continuing the mission, but the latter had declared he would walk through fire as long as it was with Viggo next to him.

It had been during that mission that Viggo had realised he couldn't live without Audun.

When he had seen Saga out there during the attack that night, he had felt similar fears as he had when he had watched Audun get hurt all those years ago, and it had reminded him of how he couldn't lose Audun. The man mattered more to him than his own life, and though Saga had grown to matter a lot as well, he needed to find a better balance to not lose the one who had given his life meaning.