In the early hours of the morning after the ceremonial dinner, Niall sat on the roof of the barracks with Huff, Lupa, Tierra, Penton and Shannon. They had all been putting away drinks for several hours by this time and were comfortably drunk.

Niall had thought he was pacing himself nicely through the ceremonial dinner, indeed he thought that he was actually sobering up through Major Lukan’s interminable speech but then the toasts began. By that time, any sense of restraint went out of the window. As a result, climbing on top of the barracks with the last bottles of contraband rum to watch the sun rise seemed perfectly sensible.

“So,” said Huff to Lupa. “You must be looking forward to getting back to your sheep. You think they missed you?”

“I know that they missed me. My papa sent me a letter saying so. Anyway, I’m not going to be home for long so they won’t be getting too used to me again.”

Penton turned to look at her. “You won’t? Where are you going?”

“Well with Vimoni gone, the thought of being back home without them was horrible. Tierra and I spoke with the Lieutenant in the Queen’s Own light infantry before we left Forward Base Glaive. If we get through basic training, he’ll recommend us for selection. So, I guess we’re signing up.”

The others were silent for a moment before Shannon spoke. “Basic is going to be a joke for you after this.You’ll smash it in selection. I saw you against the Bulvine. You saved my life out there.”

“You would do the same for me,” said Lupa. “Sure that I can’t get you to sign up as well?”

“Actually, we have a bit of an announcement about that,” said Penton. “We were going to wait for a few more years until we had a bit more saved up, but the last few weeks have shown us that life is too short.” He took Shannon’s hand. “So yesterday I asked Shannon if she would make me the happiest man in the world. And she said yes.”

Lupa put her hands to her mouth and let out a squeal. “You’re getting married. That’s so exciting. I’m so happy for you both.”

Shannon looked at her in confusion. “What? No. I mean yes, but Penton proposed years ago, we’ll get round to getting married eventually”

“What then?” Huff asked.

“We’re going to start a business together.” said Penton. “We don’t know what yet, but with Shannon’s sales skills and my logistical knowhow we think we’ve got what we need.”

Lupa put her hands to her mouth and let out another squeal. “You’re getting a legally binding commercial partnership contract. That’s so exciting. I’m so happy for you both.”

Penton threw a bottle of rum at her which she plucked out of the air.

“Well,” said Huff. “If we’re all making announcements then I guess it’s time for Niall and me to make ours as well.”

Niall paused with his own bottle halfway to his mouth. He had no idea what Huff was talking about.

Huff walked across the tiled roof to balance with this hand on Niall’s shoulder. “Well Niall and I have been dancing around it for quite some time but we can’t deny what’s in our hearts any longer.” He flung his arms out wide. “Niall is going to go home to become a Blacksmith while I’m going back to be a farmer.”

Silence met that announcement.

“Correct me if I wrong,” said Lupa. “But isn’t that what you two were doing before you came here for Militia training?”

Huff nodded sagely. “Yes. Yes. It definitely is what we were going to do.”

“So nothing new then.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“So not really an announcement.”

Huff paused. “No, I guess not.”

Niall grinned up at his friend then looked out over the camp again. “Hey everyone,” he said. “Look.” Niall stood on the ridge of the roof and pointed as the dawn started to break. The others stood and looked out as well.

“The last time I saw the sunrise I was looking down onto a Bulvine army.” Lupa spoke softly but they all heard her.

As he had so many times in the last two weeks Niall wished that there were others there with him; Trintor, Rafaela, Fangast, Mak, and a dozen others. He raised his bottle. “To absent friends.”

“To absent friends.” In ragged fashion the others repeated the toast.

Then they stood in silence and watched as the sun stained the horizon in shades of red.

***

A few hours later, just after the morning wake up call, Niall stood at ease on the parade ground outside the barracks with the rest of the Militia company. Niall was not the only one that had made the call that it would be safer to stay awake than to try to sneak a couple of hours of sleep. Seeing the state of those who had gone to bed he was clear that he had made the right choice to stay up drinking.

They were all dressed in their full combat dress: armour, swords, spears and shields. Despite the hangovers that most of them were suffering from it did not show on their faces. It was a far cry from that first morning when they had all tumbled out of the barracks without a clue what they were doing. Now they had not only been tested through their training, but they had been forged through battle and shared losses.

The doors of the main building opened and Lieutenant Bligh walked out, closely followed by Tate. Niall stood a hair’s width taller, and he was not the only one. This was the first time he had seen the Lieutenant since the middle of the battle. Rumour had it that she had been delayed at Forward Base Glaive and would not be back until after they had left.

The Lieutenant walked out in front of them and, at Tate’s command, they snapped to attention.

3rd Regiment, The Duke of Lanton’s Militia. It is an honour to be able to address you before you leave. My field promotion has been confirmed, and my new duties made me fear that I would not be able to be here. However, the stars have aligned.

“I have watched you grow in your time here, no more so than during the Battle of Deerhead Pass. What you faced there is far beyond anything that should be asked of a Militia Regiment. You may have thought my training methods harsh, but having faced the enemy you will now understand why I did so. Without it fewer of you would be here today. I only regret that I did not push you even harder.

“I mourn every one of those that we lost. They were sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, parents. They will not get to go home. To see their families. To live the lives they planned to live. Every day I will live my life in a way that honours them. To fight when I must, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. But I will only fight when I must. The rest of my life I will live to respect the freedom their blood has bought me. To work towards life in a world of peace not war.

“Today you will leave here. You are not the men and women you were when you arrived. No Militia Regiment in living memory has had to endure what you have had to. In these times I cannot say you will not be called upon to use the Skills that you have earned here to defend your communities. If that happens, with your Levels, you will be called to lead those militia. When you face the enemy once more, remember your time here. Remember that you were not trained for war, but to bring peace.”

With that the Lieutenant saluted them and then turned and marched away.

***

A few hours and many farewells later Niall and Huff were on the road heading for home. All their preparations and administration done, all that was left was for them to walk away. For the first couple of weeks, they were accompanied by a few of their comrades, but one by one they all turned off and soon enough it was just the two of them again.

The weather was crisp as they strode down the road. Despite the sun, late summer had started to hint at early autumn. Niall and Huff neither felt the need to rush nor to talk as they walked. Too much of that had been done in recent days. Instead, the two of them enjoyed the freedom from the military restrictions and the changing scenery.

Niall felt an entirely different person to the one that had walked in the opposite direction all those months ago. That man had cringed at every person that they had passed. Now it was his attitude as much as the weapons and armour that served as a deterrent to any that might wish to bother them.

As they crested a hill and looked down at a nameless village Niall stopped and stared. It was market day down below. Crops ripened in the fields and the villagers bustled around the stalls in the centre of the town. Huff stopped to look back at him. “What’s up?”

“Doesn’t all of this seem strange to you?” Niall asked

Huff looked down and shrugged. “It couldn’t be more normal. What do you mean?”

“Exactly, that’s it. It’s so normal. A few weeks ago, we were drenched in Bulvine blood. Why are these people so calm? How can they just carry on as if there isn’t a war going on?”

“It’s like the Lieutenant said, they can do it because we fought for them. Raintor, and the tens of other towns and villages near the Frontier that would be wiped out if the Bulvine got their way. This is what we were fighting for, Niall. Now come on.” Huff clapped Niall on the back. I’ll buy you a mug of cider in the tavern. All this walking is thirsty work.”

A few weeks later they were on the outskirts of Raintor back at the milestone where Niall had first met Huff. The two of them paused at the fork of road that led towards Huff’s family farm.

“I guess this is it then.” Huff said.

“I guess it is.” Niall replied. “I’ll see you for a pint next week.”

“Definitely, I’ll introduce you to Zenda. By the time I’ve finished, she won’t be able to keep her hands off the hero of Deerhead Pass.”

“Damn right I am. Don’t you forget it.”

Huff took a few steps away then turned back and gave Niall a fierce hug. “Take care of yourself, brother.” Without waiting for a reply Huff let go of him and started to walk down the road to his home.

Niall watched Huff until he was lost to a fold in the earth, then started the last leg of the walk to Devon’s house. It was late afternoon by the time that he approached. On a whim, just before he turned the last corner, he walked up the hill and through the trees. As he came to the treeline he sat and looked down.

It was the same spot that L’Kye had left him all those months ago on his first night in Gwilliant. Had it been almost a full year? That day he had been ripped from his world straight into a fight with a Bulvine. He had met the L’Fae sovereign and had Pobble become integrated with him. In no way was he same person that he was then. He looked down at his bare arms. They were corded with muscle and his body did not carry any spare fat. There wasn’t even any need to return to Devon and Alana’s smallholding. If he needed to, he could disappear into the woods and live a quiet life off the land.

The temptation to just run and disappear was strong, but it was never a real choice. His family was still at risk so he had to keep on going.

Like that first night, he looked down onto the small holding. From a distance the cottage looked the same as before. Smoke rose from the chimney and forge while the colours in kitchen garden teased the promise of the summer salads and fruits that ripened within. From where he sat, he could not hear the scratching and pecking of the chickens, but a part of him imagined he could.

After sitting for a long while, simply taking in the scene, eventually he rose. With slow steps, a strange reluctance weighting his limbs, he made his way back down to the main road and headed towards the smallholding. He could have approached from where he sat but having been away for so long, he did not feel as if he had the right to just burst in through the back door.

As he approached, he saw Devon and Alana sat with a pot of coffee at the table outside the cottage, while Silas slept at their feet in the early autumn sun. The homely scene stopped Niall in his tracks. Devon stood as Niall turned off to their house rather than continue down to the village.

Devon looked startled, then tensed ready to explode into motion. A wistful smile flitted across Niall’s face as he realised the sight of an armed man approaching would be a cause for concern for the large blacksmith. Devon stopped at a touch on the arm from his wife and shaded his eyes and look more closely at the man who approached.

Niall came to the house and stopped a few feet from the couple.

Devon looked Niall up and down. Niall could see him taking in the broadened shoulders and thickened arms. The world-weary eyes. Then Devon was before him and pulled him into a fierce hug.

“Welcome home, son. Welcome home.”