“Did you see the camp?” Gwendith asked.

Yuriko shook her head. “The trees are a bit too thick.” Not to mention the hills were higher farther east.

Gwendith raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Do you think they’re headed there?” Gwendith chewed on her lower lip in thought. “How many?”

“I’m not sure. They’re headed east, however. There were two hundred, I think.” Yuriko replied easily. They didn’t feel dangerous to her though, so probably no Elder levels.

“That’s a lot,” Gwendith muttered. “Composition?”

“Big, bulky men?”

Gwendith rolled her eyes. “I mean, from which tribes are they from?”

Yuriko shrugged. Gwendith had mentioned that there were four tribes inside Ouera Bo and she did mention their differences in physique, but other than the Fleetfoot tribe who were skinnier and a bit shorter, it was hard to distinguish them.

“I think there were a few Fleetfoot, but I can’t distinguish the others.” Yuriko cocked her head. “I should wipe them out.”

Gwendith blinked at her then glanced at the others who just shrugged.

“Whatever you wish, Master.” Desire smiled.

“Every warrior we defeat now means fewer barbarians later,” Gwendith conceded. “But, well, I think that can come later. Let’s get to the camp first then you can hunt down and kill as many as you like.”

“Hmmm, alright,” Yuriko said.

It was strange, she thought. Gwendith was the one with more reason to hate, yet she was the one with the cooler head. Over the past days, she had observed her friend as well as the rescued women. The others wore relief on their faces, but at night, they tossed and turned in their beddings. She couldn’t imagine what they went through.

What would she do if she had been captured, bound, then abused? Forced into hard labour, and could only live at the whims of her captors? Gwendith was much stronger than Yuriko thought, and she didn’t know what her own reactions would be if she had been shoved in the same circumstances.

It made her own worries pale in comparison. So she had been forced into an engagement. It wasn’t as if she would be turned into chattel.

She’d worried enough about the women’s mental well-being that she hadn’t even told them what she knew of the circumstances in Rumiga. It might be one more shock that broke their minds. Time enough to do it once they were in safety. Come to think of it, there was no reason to tell them of the war. Then again, perhaps there was no reason to conceal it either?

Gwendith…perhaps she should tell her friend? Yes.

Well, she supposed she didn’t have to destroy those raiders now. Huh, they might not even be raiders, now that she thought about it. A good portion of them was carrying large bundles on their backs. Supplies? Hmm.

Either way, they continued on their way. Yuriko angled their path more towards the southeast, figuring that it was better to go farther south of the camp rather than getting too close to Ouera Bo.

“Gwen, a word please,” Yuriko said once they took a lunch break.

“Huh, sure Yuri. What is it?” Gwendith asked, eyes sparkling.

A few days ago, Yuriko thought that her friend had been affected by her Mien. She was certain that there had been a glazed blankness behind her eyes but thankfully, on closer look, that hadn’t been the case. That had scared her though and opened up the worry that her childhood friends were only friends with her because of her Mien. It was a foolish worry since the Mien didn’t become more active until recently, but the worry was still there.

Anyway, they moved away from the rest of the women and behind some bushes.

“Gwendith…” Yuriko paused upon seeing the other girl’s flushed face. “Are you alright?”

If anything, Gwendith turned even redder. She coughed and said, “I…er, I’m fine. What is it?”

“Well, I guess I haven’t told you why I appeared in the Tidelands up here rather than back in Rumiga City.”

Gwendith shrugged. “I guess I never thought about why. I suppose it was too serendipitous, huh?”

“Well, I couldn’t enter through the Rumiga City Channel. For that matter, I couldn’t go through Delovine either.”

“Eh, why then? Don’t tell me you went through the Primordial Chaos Sea? Ah, of course, you’re already a Knight so it wouldn’t have been an issue.”

“Well that, too,” Yuriko sighed. “But more importantly, it’s because Witton Hold had been taken. There’s a war going on and the Empire is mobilising. I couldn’t take the usual routes since they’d been blocked.”

“Witton Hold… Oh!” Gwendith’s face twisted in worry. “You mean the Channel to Delovine has been… Who are we fighting?”

“The Chaos Lords, that’s for one. Desire said that there was an alliance between the Telurian and the Asheron. The barbarians too, of course, and I imagine the Federation, Ivala City?”

“Ivala’s always been at war with us,” Gwendith affirmed. “This is troubling news. Is this why grandpa wasn’t able to…”

“I suspect we’ll know more once we reach camp. Tonight, I hope. Or early tomorrow,” Yuriko said.

“Agreed.” Gwendith looked at her sideways, opened and closed her mouth without saying anything, then sighed.

“What is it?” Yuriko asked curiously.

“You, erm.” Gwendith bit her lip. “You said you were rescued by your family, your Mishala Clan, yes? Why did you leave?”

Yuriko reared back. “I wanted to return here. My brothers are still here and so are my friends.”

“Yes, but, it’s Realmheart! The original Academies are there! You can join any legion once you graduate! Ah, you’re already a Knight, so you did graduate, right?”

“Er, no.”

“So what are you doing here then? I’m not ungrateful, of course, I don’t think I could have escaped on my own, and certainly not rescued the girls…” Gwendith was babbling. How odd.

Yuriko waited for a break in the river of words, then smiled, “I had a premonition.” She shrugged, “And, well, Realmheart wasn’t really welcoming.” She continued in a softer tone, “Responsibilities I want no part in, and…” Yuriko sighed. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to join Legion Vagaris now.

“Oh,” Gwendith sighed. “I see. Thank you for telling me.”

“Hmmm, well, afterwards, I don’t think I’ll stay long in Rumiga either,” Yuriko continued with a sigh. “I kinda liked exploring the Waypoints in the Chaos Sea, and even though it had been an accident, there’s no denying that Kogasi plane was beautiful.”

“You intend to be a wanderer?”

“Possibly. I don’t think my old plans would work now. Ah, no worries, I don’t intend to just leave. Not for a while yet, anyway.”

“Huh. Do you mind if I go with you?” Gwendith blurted out.

“Eh?”

“I don’t think I want to stay in Rumiga.”

“Oh. Sure. But you’ll need to reach Knight,” Yuriko said. “I plan to go directly into the Chaos Sea.”

“You’re not even going to take a Chaos Ship? Or a Skiffer?”

Yuriko smiled. “I don’t think I can afford one.”

Gwendith laughed. “I don’t think you’ll have a hard time coming up with the funds. Please don’t leave without me. Or at least, without telling me.”

“Alright.”

Gwendith gave her a beatific smile. “It’s a promise then. I’ll reach Knight as soon as I can.”

They returned to the others and continued on their way. Every now and then, Yuriko jumped up to the top of a tree and surveyed their surroundings. The Imperial camp had a clear space and was on top of a hill, but the rest of the terrain was either covered in snow or with evergreens.

They could have reached camp today, except the river that they had crossed above the plateau now blocked their way again. But of course, it was a bit narrower and the current wasn’t as strong. Most of it was frozen too, but there was enough open water that it would be dangerous to cross.

“Maybe you can carry us across instead, Miss I-can-walk-on-water,” Gwendith snarked.

“What are the chances we get attacked?” Yuriko asked drily.

“High,” Sheamus interjected. “We’re close to the battle zones, aren’t we? Let’s take this slow and steady. Don’t take unnecessary risks.”

“Are the two of you able to build a bridge?” Yuriko asked Gwendith and Kalla.

“It should go faster now,” Gwendith said and Kalla agreed.

“Hmm, I wonder where those barbarians crossed.”

“Through Ouera Bo, probably,” Gwendith shrugged.

This time, it took most of the evening and half of the next day to freeze a path over. The crossing was uneventful, thankfully. A few hours later, the camp was well within sight, and all of them heaved a sigh of relief.

________

At the highest tower in the Frozen Camp was an unseemly location for an office. Fort Commander Adeline Perry preferred having the view even if she had to climb up several storeys worth of stairs every morning. It forced her aides to exercise, too, something they may have neglected with the perpetually cold weather here.

“And to think I thought Fort Aegermonth was cold most of the year,” she muttered. She said as much every morning while drinking a steaming cup of kaf. The bitter drink was one of the few pleasures she had and with the supply dwindling, she only had enough leaves and roots to last her a couple of weeks. She was the only one drinking now, but that was the perk of being in charge of this Ancestor forsaken place.

Duchess Kinnock had left more than half a year ago, returned to Rumiga City once it was clear the campaign had stalled out. High Adjudicator Sharine had wanted to stay but the Duchess had dragged him back. He left his house troops and a Knight in charge and they had been difficult to hold back. The fools wanted to charge into the tunnels and to certain death. They were unlikely to find their young lady with their efforts. Scout reports estimate that the tunnels were at least a hundred leagues long, quite a match for the jade mines under Rumiga City.

The command had been left to her after the Duchess left. In truth, she didn’t want to leave her old posting in Aegermonth, but she had little choice. The political pressure had been too great.

Well, there was some good that came off this. Constant battles had finally allowed her to break through to Knight-Captain. That had been two Seasons ago, coinciding with the Duchess’ departure.

She mentally reviewed her troops. Or rather, the legionnaires that were stationed in this base. She only had direct command of the militia. Legion Agminis controlled their own. Unfortunately, Agminis formed half of the Frozen Camp’s battle strength, even if there were only six hundred and five of them. Thirty Colossi Core Pilots and seventy-five support crew, and five hundred legionnaires

She had a company of builders, a cohort’s worth of logistics and support personnel and five cohorts of militia. Five thousand men and women who ranged in strength from High Apprentice to Second Order Journeyman. And a bit less than sixty Knights, and one Knight-Captain, herself.

A formidable force, to be sure, but not one that could take on the entire barbarian strength in their own fortifications. The goal had been to starve them out, but it’s looking as if they were the ones to be starved out instead.

Four weeks ago, supply transports from down south stopped coming. They had more than two Seasons’ worth of food left, but then, how would she feed more than five thousand men? She’d sent scouts and couriers to find out what happened, but ominously, none have returned.

One of the Knights from the militia, Knight Marron Davar, had volunteered a couple of days ago to look, and she hoped that he could find out what happened and return here safely. Or better yet, returned to the Frozen Camp with supplies.

Barbarian aggression had stepped up, too. That was a good thing. They came out of their safe place and battered themselves against the Frozen Camp’s freshly made walls. The builder company were twenty-five earth manipulators and their leader could compact the dirt enough to make it as strong as stone. They had a dozen Plasma Carronades manned on the walls too, and those were more than strong enough to mow down the barbarian scum.

With a sigh, she left her cup on its saucer. The air was pleasantly warm here, though she suspected it had more to do with her getting used to the chill than the quality of their heating arrangements. Outside, the skies were clear, but even so, a few flurries of snow were wont to appear for a few minutes each day.

How long would they remain here, she wondered. Orders from the city remain unchanged. Rescue the captives and destroy the barbarian threat. She saw no way to accomplish the former without doing the latter. And nothing had changed in the past two years.

Thock, thock, thock!

“Come in!” She said, and her aide-de-camp burst inside her office.

“Commander, you won’t believe it!” Her aide, Decanus Murrie Dumont, a red-haired young woman in her late twenties who’d followed her from Aegermonth yelled as soon as she opened the door. She was too excitable sometimes but her paperwork was always neat and orderly.

Adeline simply raised an eyebrow and stared pointedly until Murrie coughed, “Some of the captives escaped and they’re here!”

Adeline nodded, “Good news indeed. Let’s go meet them.”