Later in the evening, as dinnertime neared, Captain Ishki called everyone together into the tavern’s common room. Slowly but surely, the soldiers gathered, pushing tables and benches together in the middle of the room to sit together. It was obvious the place wasn’t going to be bustling like the night before. Only two or three woodsmen had showed up, and they were huddling quietly in the farthest booth they could find from the soldiers. A handful of locals were present as well, most likely regulars who would show up regardless of the current climate in town.

Gandash and Bel came down together. It wasn’t as though they were holding hands or physically closer in any way, but to Xerxes’ eyes, something about them had changed. They were looking at each other differently than before.

I knew it, Xerxes thought. He resolved to ask Gandash about the details later.

The bard returned to the stage, but being able to read the crowd, he didn’t try out any foot-tapping tunes, and instead stuck with calmer melodies.

As it turned out, Captain Ishki had arranged for a special dinner. “Our last civilized meal before heading out into the wilds,” she said. It consisted of roasted beef, a fish stew, sweet dishes with dates and honey, pastries, and an ale that vastly surpassed the ordinary stuff they’d consumed the previous night.

After the food came out and everyone had a chance to dig in, Captain Ishki stood and called for a toast.

Being from Od, the captain resembled Bel in the lightness of her skin and hair, as well as her general facial structure. However, she was shorter and stockier. What was more, the scars visible on her face and neck made it obvious that she had seen more than her fair share of combat on the battlefield. In Isin and Fal, it was rare for womenfolk to serve in the army, and to fight in battle. But not in Od. Captain Ishki had a reputation for being tough but smart. And unlike many Isinian officers that Xerxes had encountered, although Ishki commanded respect, she didn’t take herself too seriously. As a result, the soldiers generally admired her.

“Let’s drink to the upcoming mission,” Captain Ishki said, holding up her tankard.

“To the mission,” said one of the light infantry named Tekinalp.

They drank together. Then the captain set her tankard down and put her fingertips on the table in front of her. Leaning forward, she said, “The incident this morning was tragic, but things like that happen sometimes. We lost a dear friend, and I know we’re all shaken up about it. Let’s have a moment of silence.”

After the silence passed, the captain said, “But there’s a good side. I think we’re all proud that our Seers handled themselves so well. Am I right?”

There was a bit of clapping and cheering.

“Let’s drink to the mages!” Goran said, lifting his tankard.

“To the mages,” the captain said, lifting her tankard again. “Regarding the morning’s incident, I believe Sergeant Tamharu has an update. Sergeant?”

Tamharu, the leader of Squad One, was a burly, scarred man who, like Gem, had fought in many battles. He was tall, with a full beard and a fearless glint that never left his eye, even if he got drunk.

Standing, he said, “Yes, Captain Ishki. I did some digging and got the names of the other woodsmen who were involved in the fight. Physical descriptions as well. They cleared out of town immediately. I Imagine they’re deep in the forest already.”

“When we get back to the capital we’ll issue arrest warrants for them. I’ll personally put a bounty on their heads and… you know, maybe I’ll request leave to come out here and track the bastards down myself. We’ll see to it that Gem gets full and complete justice.”

“Here here!” a soldier said

“Justice for Gem,” added another.

All of a sudden, Xerxes felt the urge to raise his hand. “Captain Ishki?”

“Yes, Seer Xerxes?”

“Gem mentioned a box with some money, and he asked me to get it to his family. If it’s alright with you, sir, I… I feel like it’s my responsibility to handle that.”

“I know the box,” Rihan said.

“Get the box to Seer Xerxes,” the captain said.

“Yes sir.”

Shifting her attention to a lanky soldier who everyone called Ap, she said, “Private Apuulluunideeszu, did you make all the arrangements with the coroner?”

Apuulluunideeszu held the second-longest name in the convoy and had been one of Gem’s close friends. Standing up, he saluted. “Sir, yes sir! Arrangements have all been made, sir!”

There were a few chuckles among the soldiers at Ap’s excessive formality.

“Thank you, Private,” the captain said. “You can sit. Now, in a moment we can finish our meal and have a final evening of rest before we get on the road in the morning. It’ll take two days to reach our destination, so we’ll camp in the forest for at least one night.

“I don’t have any reason to suspect this will be anything but a routine inspection of this Master Ligish and his castle. According to the report, a traveler claims to have seen evidence he’s experimenting with advanced machinery. If you ask me, it’s probably a false report filed by a rival. But protocol requires us to make a formal investigation, and so, we will. That doesn’t mean we’ll be lax, though. Everyone stay alert and ready for trouble at all times. Especially after what happened this morning. Understood?”

The soldiers all voiced words of acknowledgment.

“Good. In that case, enjoy this meal, and don’t get too drunk! I’ll lead morning prayer for all of us tomorrow, and I don’t want to see anybody hungover!”

“No promises, captain!” a soldier said, and everyone laughed, including the captain.

After that, the group dined and drank. At one point, Rihan brought down Gem’s box and handed it over to Xerxes in ceremonious fashion. Everyone had a story or two to tell about their lost comrade. Gallant tears were shed, but at the same time, jokes were made. As the hours wore on, spirits rose some, and many a toast was made in Gem’s name.

Eventually, people began to retire. Xerxes’ exhaustion was dulled by the alcohol, but he was beginning to feel the stiffness that came after a fight. When it became clear that Gandash and Bel weren’t planning to go upstairs anytime soon, he finally said, “Alright, I’m done. I need to close my eyes.”

“Sure, Xerk,” Gandash said. “You go ahead, I’ll be up in a minute.”

Being mages, the two young men had their own room, as opposed to the soldiers who slept in bunks in a shared room. Upstairs, Xerxes made his final preparations for sleep, then lay down and closed his eyes.

Despite his feelings of fatigue, sleep eluded him. He kept thinking of blood, and the gurgling sounds made by dying throats. He remembered Gem’s smile and laughter. And the box he needed to deliver to Gem’s family.

It was nearly two hours later when Gandash quietly opened the door and slipped inside.

Xerxes lifted his head. “Finally,” he said.

“Oh, you’re still awake?” Gandash slipped out of his boots, sat on the opposite bed, and sighed.

“Well?” Xerxes asked.

“Well what?”

“You and Bel? What’s going on?”

“Oh, that. Well… we kissed.”

Xerxes sat up in bed. “What? Are you kidding me?”

Gandash put his hands behind his head and leaned back against the wall. “Nope. I almost can’t believe it.” He sighed again. “It wasn’t exactly how I imagined it happening. But it was good. Really good.”

Xerxes half-laughed. “Gandy, I can’t believe you kissed her. That’s not what I said to do!”

“I didn’t plan it. It just sort of happened.”

“She nearly got killed. And she killed a guy. Then you went and kissed her? That was either a genius move or really, really stupid.”

“Shut up, Xerk. It wasn’t like I planned it. She was sad, so I put my arm around her. We started talking. Then all of a sudden, it happened.”

Xerxes lay his head back down on his pillow, glad to have thoughts of Gem pushed out of his mind. “My boy Gandash. Finally becoming a man.”

This time, Gandash laughed. “It’s not like you’re some sort of playboy!”

“Not yet, Gandy. Not yet. But one day….”

They chatted some more, with the talk turning serious before reverting to humor. Then it became serious again for a time. Back and forth they conversed, late into the night.

Eventually, as silver pinpricks of moonlight found their way through the slats in the window shutters, they fell asleep.