Vas waded through the crowd and Miiche followed close behind him. After a far longer while than it should have taken, they made their way to the Scout barracks.

Vas stepped inside and closed the door as soon as Miiche entered.

“What about the girl? Alex?”

“She’ll be fine,” Vas said bitterly.

“Vas!” Vas felt Selene run into him with a hug at the ready. “You need to wash the blood off you. Get a change of clothes.”

After saying this, Selene inspected Miiche. “I’m Selene,” she said.

Miiche took this opportunity to set her new spear in the corner, then waved at Selene.

Vas started walking to the back room where he knew he could find a change of clothes.

After a moment he stopped and turned around, holding out Miiche’s second saber.

“Thanks.”

Miiche rubbed her eye, “Shucks V, you’re gonna make me cry. Thanking me so sincerely.”

Vas rolled his eyes and put the saber in Miiche’s hand. “Selene, this is Miiche. Miiche.”

Vas caught Miiche’s eye for this. “Be good.”

Vas didn’t know if Miiche would be jealous and go ballistic, or if she wouldn’t even mind Selene. He could never tell. Women.

At this moment, Alex burst through the door.

“VAS! You walked away from me!” Alex turned to nod at Miiche, “You’re pretty. Who are you?”

“Miiche.”

“Solid. Aren’t you gonna tell me I’m pretty?”

“How do you know Vas?”

Alex rubbed her nose, thinking about it.

“Scouts,” she said simply.

Miiche nodded.

Selene stepped forward and leaned against the nearby wall, “How do you know him?”

Miiche shrugged.

“He just kind of follows me around, you know?”

Both of the other girls nodded knowingly.

“Hey!”

“Why aren’t you changed yet?” Miiche was who asked the question, but it seemed to be coming from all three of the girls at once.

Vas growled at them and walked down the hall to the back room.

There were ten or so other people in some of the other rooms but Vas didn’t recognize them, so he didn’t make conversation.

When he reached the back room, Joust was laying on a cot.

He sat up when he saw Vas. “Wow. Been fighting?”

Vas just snorted and sat on a nearby cot.

He rubbed his eyes.

Joust stood up and grabbed a spare jacket from Vas’s things.

“Thanks,” Vas said without looking up.

Joust just nodded and went back to his cot.

Vas knew he should probably start telling them what he’d gotten involved in, but had a strange feeling that none of it would matter.

They’d only been back for a day or two, but that meant the Risen should arrive in the next four days.

Vas put his jacket on and leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then heard a loud knock at the front door.

“Yeah, yeah.” Vas heard Alex open the door. “You’re…”

“Alex? Selene? I thought you were dead!”

Vas’s eyes snapped open and he hopped off his bed.

Joust wasn’t far behind them.

This voice…

Vas reached the hallway and saw just who he’d thought he would.

Sun!

The man who had trained them before they’d marched south.

“Sweet eyeless mother of… Vas!” Vas strode up to Sun and they hugged. “Joust, too! How many of you made it back?”

Vas shook his head, “This is it. We just got back.”

Sun nodded, not especially surprised.

“You’re who brought news of the assault then. They’re making me a captain, having me gather people up. You guys lucked out, you get to be my last group of members.”

Vas watched Sun carefully, “No more training?”

Sun shook his head. “If we’re all dead out here, training won’t be much help.”

“At least they’ll never breach the Wall. Any chance they’ll let us go back in there?”

Sun shook his head. “Those scumbags aren’t letting anyone back into their precious Wall. It’s politics. They’re worried the commanders down here might take their power away. I swear their stupidity is going to get us all killed.”

Sun walked away slowly, as if thinking about every step. Vas knew his mind was somewhere else, maybe scheming. Whatever Sun was thinking about, he didn’t seem willing to share it with anyone.

“Vas, I want you to be my vice commander. I’m sure if you haven’t already been put in a command position you would be good at it.”

“He’s been put in a command position alright!” Vas glanced at Alex. He didn’t say anything, but he gave her a little frown. She stuck her tongue out at him.