Get it Together

"Get it Together" is a Season 5 oneshot written on February 16, 2020. 
== Summary ==
== Full Text ==
Grey Bergman: Takes place right after Callers Clash (This is pretty much what Grey and Shadow were doing while Haddock and Orskaf fought during Ragnarok)
May 16, 1045
The Lady looked over her shoulder as Shadow took off into the sky to head back to the dungeon, and she could see the Valhallan soldiers gathering around their fallen comrades and the call-commander. She let out a shaky breath as she turned her sights back in front of her, but her thoughts were cut off when she hissed at the pain that shot up her right arm. 
Grey slowly lifted her arm and inspected the long cut. Her shirt was torn at the shoulder where the axe blade met her skin. She sighed. This was the worst of what she got from that fight, while…four soldiers…were currently lying dead on the ground because of her and Shadow. 
She was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts when she felt Shadow jolted under her, and she quickly forgot about what had just occurred as she angled herself to look at Shadow. “Hey, what’s wrong, girl?” she asked aloud. She stopped when she saw Shadow’s left foreleg seeing a gash on the shoulder, and her heart broke into a million pieces as she remembered Forestal’s words…
“You just tried to incapacitate us none fatally despite this being a live fight…and you won anyway…It cost you both though…you’re both injured.”
“He was right… Shadow’s injured…because of me… Those soldiers are dead…because of me… I did this…” she thought to herself. However, she shook the thoughts out of her head regaining her focus. “Get it together, Bergman! You got to take care of Shadow…no time for moping!”
“Hang in there, Shadow,” Grey quickly said aloud despite the stinging and throbbing of the scar on her right arm. “We’re just about there.”
After another minute or so, the Lady’s Night Fury finally landed in front of the dungeon. For the past few days…ever since this war started…whenever there was a respite in battle, she immediately reported to Haddock to go over reports of injuries…casualties…inventory, but for today, she figured that the King could wait a few minutes. Right now, she had her dragon to take care of. 
“Come on, Shadow,” Grey said as she dismounted her dragon. “We have to look at that arm of yours.”
Shadow crooned and gestured to the cut on Grey’s arm. “We have to take care of your arm, too, Grey,” she crooned to the Lady. 
Grey looked at her arm and then back at Shadow smiling. “Relax, will you? I just want to take care of you first. Come on.”
The Night Fury crooned as she followed her human sister. It was easy to see that Grey was trying to put what happened in the back of her mind…trying to distract herself, and she knew why. Grey had never killed anyone before today, and now that that day came in the middle of a war…it was a lot for her to handle. However, Shadow promised herself that she was going to be right there the minute Grey was ready to try to process the whole ordeal as Grey took them to a medic tent and grabbed a few supplies. 
“Okay, Shadow,” Grey finally said as she knelt down in front of her dragon, “let’s take a look.” She gently took the dragon’s left arm into her hands earning a hiss in return causing the Lady to cringe. “Sorry, I’ll try to be gentle.” She turned to the gash as she dipped a rag into a bucket of water and gently dabbed it trying to clean the blood. 
“It cost you both…you’re both injured…”
Grey froze in the midst of cleaning her dragon’s wound as she heard Forestal’s words yet again… Shadow was injured…and could’ve easily been killed. If they didn’t fight back…if they didn’t defend themselves…they both could’ve died at the hands of the Valhallan soldiers…all because she decided to look for Orskaf Donz. Now…four men were dead…because they defended themselves. 
She sighed as tears formed in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Shadow,” the Lady said aloud as she cleaned the wound a little more before taking the rag away and grabbing a few bandages. “I…” Her words fell on her tongue. What could she possibly say? That she didn’t mean for this to happen? How could she say that? They…she actively sought out to find Orskaf and fight him…to end his terror…to make him pay for what he did to Perch Hall and Kiri. What did she think was going to happen? They were going to fight, but she would never have been able to arrest him…or something like that… 
“I’ve surrendered, but you can’t take me prisoner…”
The call-commander was right. The whole reason they were fighting was to kill or be killed for the god who chose them…to fight. If she had gone up against Orskaf…the same thing would’ve happened, and that made things that much scarier. No matter who she fought today, either both she and Shadow would’ve died…and the rest of the Rebellion would’ve had to move on without her…and her parents…or Orskaf would’ve died…because of her…just like the soldiers today…all because of her decision. 
“I’m sorry I got us in that mess…” Grey finally said as tears streamed down her face as she wrapped bandages around Shadow’s wound. “I…those guys are all dead because of us…of me…”
Shadow crooned sadly as she nuzzled Grey’s cheek to comfort her. “Grey…we had no choice…” she crooned even though Grey couldn’t understand her. “It was either let them kill us…or we kill them to survive. We were defending ourselves…just as they were. You know that. That’s what the gods expected of us.”
Grey sighed as she leaned into Shadow’s nuzzle accepting the comfort and began to sob. “I know what you’re trying to say,” she said. “I know it. I know that we needed to defend ourselves…so that we could go home, but…it still doesn’t make it right.” How could it be right? They ended someone’s life…just so they could live. 
“No…it doesn’t,” Shadow crooned in reply, “but we’ll get to go home once this is over.” She gestured to inside the dungeon. “The Rebellion won’t be without their second-in-command…their friend.”
At first, Grey didn’t understand what Shadow was trying to tell her, but when she followed her gaze to the looming broken building that used to be the Grounded Dungeon…the very reason she and Shadow were out here…away from the sanctity of Haligan Island to begin with. Realization slapped the young Lady across the face. They needed to survive, that was true…but if she didn’t seek out Orskaf, she and Shadow wouldn’t have taken out Orskaf’s judges. They probably–no, they would’ve continued to take on the Rebellion…and killed them…her comrades. 
They didn’t just kill them to defend themselves…but to defend the Rebellion…just as she agreed to do when Haddock promoted her a month ago. It was not just so Grey and Shadow could go home, but so that…everyone could go home. It was then that she remembered what her father had once told her.
“Remember, little Valkyrie, you always defend yourself on the battlefield…no matter what. Not only that, but…you defend those you love… It’s kill or be killed.”
“But–”
“I know, I know, but a warrior always protects their own. Every time, I rush into battle…I know that I’m protecting my wife, my daughter,” he bopped her on the nose, “and Shadow. Remember who you fight for, my little Valkyrie, and you will never go wrong on the battlefield.”
As the memory faded, Grey smiled as she looked up at Shadow. “You’re right,” she said, “and Dad was right too. We’re not just out here for the thrill…we’re fighting for our lives…each other’s lives. I’m fighting for Mom, Dad, you, Greg, Warren, Asha, Haddock, Akkey, Seasick…the whole Rebellion… Orskaf’s army isn’t doing that. I may not like it,” she lightly touched her sword, “but…it’s what needs to be done. We have to keep going. We have to remember who we fight for, and we won’t go wrong.”
Shadow crooned as she nuzzled Grey again. 
As soon as Grey finished treating her wound on her arm…the constant reminder of what she and Shadow had done during Ragnarok that day, the Lady stood up. “Let’s go find Haddock and Stonegit,” she said as she began to walk toward the dungeon with Shadow.
“Lady Grey!” a voice shouted. Both Grey and Shadow turned only to see a fellow rebel running toward her. “There you are! We had no idea where you were!”
“I know, I’m sorry,” Grey said holding up her hands to calm the soldier. “I had something to take care of.” The soldier could easily see the bandages on Grey’s arm and Shadow’s shoulder. “Is there something wrong?”
“Y-You don’t know…what happened…?” 
Grey felt her heart pound. “W-What are you talking about? What happened?”
“It’s the King, my Lady,” the soldier said. “He was on the battlefield…and we’re not sure what happened. But…” he stopped and looked at Grey, “he…Lady Grey, King Haddock was injured. He’s paralyzed…from the waist down.”
The Lady widened her eyes as her heart continued to pound.
Category:BOTGD
Category:Events
Category:Season 5
Category:Grey Bergman
Category:Shadow