Chapter 11

Year 163 – Summer – Quartus Mensis – 36th day

Velika Road, Velika Forest, northern Vale

The Silver Lining was walking up the road leading to the Tree-Fall Village when they saw Atilos and his band of sellswords marching down the road. When they reached one another, Atilos shouted.

Atilos – “You’re late!”

Lanaya – “So are you. I saw Mundric and Roberht three hours ago.”

Atilos – “I was ordered to head south today, which I’m doing. You, on the other hand, were supposed to be here yesterday.”

Lanaya – “Perhaps I’m late, but I’ve got my reasons.”

Atilos – “You’ve done some recruiting?”

Lanaya – “You’ve got at least one working eye. Congrats!”

Atilos – “I doubt it will be enough to stay on Egmond’s good side.”

Lanaya – “We’ll let him judge.”

Atilos – “I’d pray for you, but no gods would help a heretic like you.”

Lanaya – “Pray for yourself instead, cause no one’s going to do it for you for sure.”

The two groups of sellswords passed each other and kept on walking in opposite directions. The sun was slowly fading when the Silver Lining finally saw the Kalator encampment further up the road.

Lanaya - “Alright! We’re setting camp over there, east of the road.”

Jurren – “Aren’t we a bit far away from the main camp? I mean, they’re like, what, a quarter-mile ahead?”

Lanaya – “I’d rather not sleep next to them for now. They pay us, and we work for them. That’s it.”

Alphael – “I suppose we are settling next to you?”

Lanaya – “Yeah. You can go over here. We will prepare the camp.”

Alphael and his men walked a few yards to the east of Lanaya’s camp to unpack their mules.

Lanaya – “Jurren, Petra, Jowrik, Tomos, Lato, Elgan, Radomil, Egon, and Leo, cut the tree branches around here and build a fence around the camp. If anyone tries to sneak in during the night, I want to hear the wood crack as he makes his way in.”

Jowrik – “You think they hate us that much?”

Lanaya – “Roberht and Atilos didn’t like us. I wouldn’t be surprised if many share their view. As of now, I don’t know which kind of welcoming we’ll get, so start building before it gets dark.”

Jurren – “Count on us.”

Lanaya – “Owen, Brys, you prepare the fire pit. Aberfa, Amlodd, Cled, and Tally, look for fruits and hunt prey. Once your tasks are done, you can unpack your mules and set your tents. I’ll go see Lord Egmond with Nelis to announce our late arrival and bring water from the well of Tree-Fall.”

A quarter-hour later, Lanaya and Nelis were on their way to the Kalator’s camp. As they arrived, a lieutenant of the Kalator’s army approached them.

Varok – “You’re late.”

Nelis – “And yet, you are still waiting like a good dog.”

Varok – “You’re one to talk with that barrel on your back; you look like a mule.”

Lanaya – “Where’s Egmond? I want to talk to him.”

Varok – “Follow me, but don’t expect hospitality. He wanted you to partake in the scouting, but you were late so others did it instead.”

Lanaya – “About that, I have something that might ease his nerves.”

Varok – “I hope for you that you do.”

Varok led the way toward Egmond’s quarters. As they were walking, Lanaya noticed an uneasy feeling in the soldier’s eyes.

Lanaya – “We’ll need to resupply water. Is the well nearby?”

Getting the same uneasy feeling, Nelis took a slim candle from his pocket before grabbing the rope holding his barrel.

Varok – “It’s west of that house over there.”

Nelis – “Good, I’ll fill the barrel there.”

Varok – “That’s quite a large barrel; you could have brought a mule instead.”

Nelis – “Nothing’s better than a good shoulder training before bed.”

Lanaya – “I suppose that house over there is where Egmond sleeps?”

Varok – “That’s where the whores are. Egmond is sleeping in a tent, just like any of his men.”

Lanaya – “Quite honourable of him.”

After a while, they arrived near a large tent protected by two guards in plate armour.

Varok – “Lord Egmond! The Silver Lining has arrived.”

The Lord emerged, wearing armour.

Egmond – “ARREST THEM!”

The surrounding soldiers drew their blades. In an instant, Nelis dragged his barrel to the ground, opened it, and snapped both of his gauntlets, scrapping the sharpening iron attached underneath each and releasing flares between his wrists. The sparkling flames lit the candle he had been holding.

Nelis – “STOP MOVING OR I’LL TURN US ALL TO DUST.”

Egmond – “STOP! EVERYONE STOP!”

Varok saw the open barrel. It wasn’t empty, but was filled with a powdered dark mixture.

Varok – “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?”

Nelis – “If I let the fire reach this barrel, all of us will die!”

Lanaya – “Such a warm welcome.”

Varok – “What would you accomplish? Leaving the rest of your band behind?”

Lanaya – “Are you willing to gamble your life?”

Egmond – “You won’t let us arrest you, but you can’t walk away or you won’t be able to use your threat against our arrow.”

Lanaya – “We seem to be at a dead end.”

Egmond – “And the sun is falling.”

Lanaya – “Interested in a little talk?”

Egmond – “I have a project, but it seems I indeed have some time to spare . . .”

Lanaya – “Are you not interested in hiring my band anymore?”

Egmond – “That truly depends on you, my dear. But you’re costing me more than your worth.”

Lanaya – “How many Utos is a day of food worth?”

Egmond – “For 3,000 mouths? It’s worth at least 600 copper Utos. Unless you intend to work for free for the next month, I don’t see how you’ll pay it back.”

Lanaya – “I have a proposal.”

Egmond – “Talk.”

Lanaya – “I found a slave trader from the East. He’s willing to buy all the slaves we get him.”

Egmond – “Interesting. So I could just raid your camp, kill him, and take his gold?”

Lanaya – “You could, but you’d lose so many soldiers that you wouldn’t be able to take the Vale anymore. On the other hand, you can gain the opportunity of making even more deals with him in the future. I don’t think the Union’s merchants have contacted you yet, have they?”

Egmond – “Alright, I accept your offer.”

Lanaya – “You’re funny. I haven’t proposed it yet. I’ll be taking half the profit. Without my contact, you wouldn’t get any coins out of selling the slaves off.”

Egmond – “You think you’re in a position of asking for that?”

Lanaya – “Half the profit will not only repay your loss for today but also finance more than two months of wages for your whole army.”

Egmond – “I’ll leave you one-third as proof of my generosity.”

Lanaya – “You’ll still have to pay my monthly wage in that case.”

Egmond – “I’ll do it, but be sure to be useful or it will be easy for me to side with those who dislike your presence.”

Lanaya – “How generous of our great leader.”

Egmond – “Do we have a deal?”

Lanaya – “We have a deal. What are your orders, my lord?”

Egmond – “We are going south tomorrow. The pile of shit your sorcerer requested is on the east side of camp. Try to be on time, or I might not be as kind as I am now.”

Lanaya – “Very well. We shall take our leave then, but before, I need a barrel of water.”

Egmond – “You, bring her a barrel from the reserve.”

The soldier nodded and ran toward the storage.

Varok – “Do you mind if I walk away?”

Nelis – “You don’t like our company?”

Varok – “I’d rather not be here when that candle slips off your hand.”

Lanaya – “Be my guest, but Egmond will stay until I get my barrel of water.”

Egmond – “You think I would lie?”

Lanaya – “You seemed quite eager to arrest me.”

Egmond – “I was indeed, but that trader of yours changed my mind. As of now, I intend to keep hiring your services. You can be at ease.”

Lanaya – “Quench the candle, Nelis.”

Nelis – “You’re sure?”

Lanaya looked Egmond in the eyes as he stared back at her.

Lanaya – “I’m sure.”

After Nelis pressed the flame with his fingers, a thin smoke snaked between them.

Egmond – “It shouldn’t take long for your water.”

Lanaya smiled at him with an irritated look in her eyes. Shortly after, the soldier came back with the small barrel of water. He carefully walked toward Lanaya and dropped the barrel on the ground near her. Lanaya took the barrel of water, and Nelis placed his own barrel on his back.

Lanaya – “We’ll see you tomorrow at the next outpost.”

Lanaya walked toward the guard, followed by Nelis.

Egmond – “Let them pass.”

The soldiers were all tense and seemed to be waiting for the order to kill them, but the order never came as the two of them left the camp and entered the woods in the southeast of Tree-Fall Village.

Lanaya – “It didn’t go as well as expected.”

Nelis – “Could have been worse. We could have both died.”

Lanaya – “That’s not true. As long as you’re there, I’ll be fine.”

Nelis – “You’re overestimating my abilities.”

Lanaya – “What’s in that barrel? I thought you had no black powder left.”

Nelis – “It’s just charcoal and sulfur. It looks like black powder, but it still lacks the main ingredient to be more than a reeking cooking fire.”

Lanaya – “Ahahah. See? I don’t risk anything with you.”

Nelis – “If only you were right.”

Lanaya – “I believed it would have gone better. I’m glad you helped us out for about the thousandth time, happy?”

Nelis – “That’s quite humble of you.”

Lanaya – “I made an effort, just for you.”

Nelis – “I noticed. You know, I’m not mad at you; I’m worried. I care for you. But when you are carelessly relying on luck, it makes me anxious. You’re the closest person I have to a family. I don’t want to lose you.”

Lanaya grabbed his hand and gently tightened her grip.

Lanaya – “I care for you as well, but it’s not luck. It’s a blessing.”

Nelis – “Whatever you say.”

The sky was turning orange. A line of smoke emerged from the camp, and a smell that reached their noses gave Lanaya and Nelis an appeasing feeling.

A makeshift fence had been made from the tree branch to stop most of the nocturnal animals from sneaking inside the camp. The mules were still carrying the food supply on them and were attached to the surrounding trees. Both Alphael’s soldiers and Lanaya’s band were eating when Lanaya and Nelis came back.

Lanaya – “Hey! Have you seen Alphael?”

One of the soldiers looked at her before pointing toward the Silver Lining.

Owen – “Here’s yours, Jowrik.”

Jowrik – “Thank you, Owen; it smells good.”

Owen – “No need to thank me. Thank the scouting team for finding that deer.”

Lanaya – “Who killed it?”

Jurren – “Welcome back!”

Leo – “It was Aberfa.”

Owen – “We also found more apples.”

Nelis – “Can’t wait to eat them.”

Owen – “Nelis, you’ll be happy cause it’s part of our meal for tonight.”

Nelis – “Alright, serve me one; I’ll be there soon.”

Nelis attended to his unpacked supplies.

Lanaya – “Alphael, I need to speak with you for a moment.”

Alphael – “Certainly . . . Owen, can you bring the tea back to my soldiers once it’s ready?”

Owen – “Yeah, yeah . . .”

Alphael – “It’s truly appreciated.”

The merchant followed Lanaya further south.

Alphael – “You have all my attention. What’s the matter?”

Lanaya – “I talked to the Kalator’s lord, and it seems that quite a few of his allies are not so much the loyal kind, but more the opportunist ones. So be careful about who you talk to.”

Alphael – “I appreciate the advice, but as a merchant, I already am. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?”

Lanaya – “I would like to recruit some slaves. Even if it’s just one of them. Since we are escorting you, do you think you could let us have some for free?”

Alphael – “You didn’t get the deal you were expecting from the lord, did you?”

Lanaya – “I suppose it could have gone better. So, can you?”

Alphael – “I’ll give you a discount on the slaves you want to buy. Do these terms satisfy you?”

Lanaya – “They’ll do for now.”

Alphael – “Very well. If you don’t mind, I’ll go back. My tea is waiting.”

Alphael left first, shortly followed by Lanaya, who joined the fire pit by her band.

Lanaya – “There aren’t that many people left.”

Owen – “They were all tired after this overly secured camp you asked for. Most of them went to sleep right after eating.”

Lanaya – “It’s not overly secure. I just want to wake up if something approaches the camp.”

Jurren – “How did the negotiation go?”

Lanaya – “Could have been better.”

Jurren – “Should we get worried?”

Nelis – “We should get two people on every guarding shift during the night. Just in case.”

Leo – “Worried about what?”

Lanaya – “The chances of being attacked by our own are still really low, but I’d have to agree with Nelis. While the lord seems to be on our side, the rest of the army doesn’t seem to see us the same way.”

Jowrik – “I’m quite surprised to hear that the lord of the all-mighty Kalator is on our side. Aren’t we just a random group of mercenaries?”

Petra – “He probably just wants to fuck Lanaya.”

Lanaya – “Careful with what you say, Petra.”

Nelis – “There’s more than that. He could have sent his soldiers after us while we were leaving the camp, but he didn’t. He has projects. I don’t know what they are, and I don’t like it.”

Owen – “As paranoid as ever. Do you ever consider the possibility that someone might just make a mistake?”

Nelis – “Maybe, but I’d rather be wrong and prepared than relying on luck.”

Leo – “Is Nelis always like that?”

Lanaya – “No . . . and yes.”

Nelis – “I’m sorry, let’s change the subject. Leo, since you joined us, did you have the chance to talk to everyone?”

Leo – “Not everyone, I’d say most people. I mean, I joined you in Almuharib, so I talked a little here and there but I haven’t spoken to everyone.”

Petra – “Lanaya!”

Nelis – “And how do you like the group?”

Leo – “It’s not exactly like what I expected, but it’s better than what I used to do.”

Lanaya – “Yeah?”

Owen – “Don’t worry, it will get better. In five days.”

Petra – “I want to train. Up for the task?”

Nelis – “In five days?”

Lanaya – “Sure. Let me finish my plate and I’ll be there.”

Petra – “Alright, I’ll go get our weapon.”

Owen – “Yeah, in five days. We will be in Avem.”

Nelis – “We won’t be in Avem. We will be besieging them.”

Jurren – “That’s still better since we won’t have to walk all day.”

Owen – “The last siege lasted what? One day? One day and a half at best?”

Nelis – “I had two whole barrels of black powder ready.”

Owen – “Can’t you do some again?”

Nelis – “I want to make six of them this time, but it will take at least 10 to 20 days before it gets ready and dried out. I can’t see the Kalator waiting that long.”

Jowrik – “Is that the reason you bought so much sulfur?”

Nelis – “Yeah.”

Leo – “Sorry, what’s that black powder you’re talking about? Is it some kind of witchcraft?”

Nelis – “Not exactly. It’s alchemy and a basic type of alchemy, that is, but it’s not well seen in the Union. Therefore, most people will call it witchcraft even though I’m not doing sacrifices or using any runic formulas. I’m just following the recipes of my mother. It’s basically strong sulfur.”

Lanaya – “Don’t be so modest.”

Leo – “What do you mean?”

Nelis – “Well, do you know what sulfur is?”

Leo – “I think it’s used to start large fires during the winter. At least that’s what we do in Almuharib.”

Nelis – “Yeah, exactly. Now imagine what would happen if you set an entire barrel of sulfur on fire at the same time. It would make a really large fire for a short time until the sulfur is all burned.”

Leo – “Yeah, I see it.”

Nelis – “What I do is kind of like what Owen does when he adds another ingredient to his meal to enhance the flavour. I add an ingredient that enhances the incandescent ability of the sulfur and makes it explode.”

Leo – “How can fire explode?”

Nelis – “Because of how fast the reaction is. For instance, have you ever heard the sound of a sword cutting the air?”

Leo – “I think . . .”

Lanaya – “If you haven’t, just listen to our duels a little. You’ll hear it.”

Nelis – “Well, the incandescent reaction is so strong that you can hear it close to a hundred times louder than the sound of a sword slashing, but the air isn’t being cut. It’s being pushed away. The effect is so strong that it can break the wood and even the stone apart.”

Leo – “It sounds scary. What if it exploded next to you?”

Nelis – “That’s the exact reason why I’m the only one allowed to use it here.”

Lanaya – “Alright, I finished my meal!”

Petra – “Finally, I was about to fall asleep.”

Lanaya – “I hope you have some energy left cause you’ll need it.”

Petra – “We’ll see!”

Both girls went outside the camp in a partially open area. While Lanaya was taller, Petra was built like a man. Petra gave Lanaya a spear made from one piece of steel before taking her battle-axe.

Lanaya – “Ready when you are!”

At that moment, Petra dashed forward and cleaved her axe toward Lanaya. The slim-looking girl lowered her whole body backward to dodge her opponent and used her spear as support. The shrill sound of the air being cut was heard as the hit missed. Lanaya spun around her own spear to get behind it and thrust forward, forcing Petra to step back.

Lanaya – “Not fast enough!”

Leo – “Wait, they aren’t using training weapons?”

Nelis – “When you fight on the battlefield all the time, you lose this fear, I suppose.”

Jowrik – “Don’t worry, they know what they are doing.”

Owen – “Not like it will change anything.”

Jurren – “True.”

Leo – “No one’s scared they might hurt each other?”

Owen – “Do you want to stand between them to tell them so?”

Leo – “Well . . .”

Owen – “Me neither.”

Jurren – “Lanaya’s just playing. Besides, she’s good enough to stop her spear before hurting Petra.”

Leo – “So, she’s truly blessed by Aya?”

Jowrik – “I don’t think so. She’s just that once-in-a-thousand-years legend that is naturally stronger than others. I’d like to see Petra hold her ground, but Lanaya is on a whole other level than all of us.”

Nelis – “She’s not a legend. She’s right here, and the reason she’s stronger isn’t due to a blessing. She’s just fundamentally different from you and me.”

Leo – “What do you mean?”

Nelis – “Exactly what I said; one day you’ll understand.”

Owen – “Here we go again.”

Leo – “About what?”

Jowrik – “Nelis is the only one who knows her past.”

Owen – “And all he does is try to bait us into asking questions he won’t answer.”

Leo – “No one else knows about it?”

Owen – “It’s probably some boring crap that would explain why she’s not talking about it.”

Leo – “It does help her image of the blessed saviour, though. The stranger coming in a time of need . . .”

Jurren – “What other than a stranger can help you in a time of need?”

Alphael came back and approached the fire pit.

Alphael – “Most of my soldiers are sleeping. Why are these two twats fighting this late?”

Owen – “Cause if they wait any longer, they won’t see what they are doing.”

Jurren – “You can sit at the fire with us until they are finished if you want.”

Alphael – “I can’t really help, I guess.”

Owen – “There’s still some food if you want. It’s the same stew of apple, deer, and marjoram, but there’s not so much apple left. Nor much deer left, for that matter.”

Brys – “There’s a tonne of deer left.”

Owen – “Yes, but it’s being salted. It’s not in the stew.”

Brys – “Well, it’s more of a soup then, isn’t it?”

Owen – “But it was a stew originally.”

Alphael – “I’ll take a bowl. It will warm me up.”

Leo – “Alphael, what’s your homeland like?”

Alphael – “It’s a warm land, but it’s dry. There’s no such thing as a surprise attack from another kingdom in my homeland. Food and water aren’t flowing around. When a kingdom declares war, you can see them move their troops from one water point to another. Most of the time, the arid land will force them to back off without finishing their fight.”

Jurren – “Sounds horrible.”

Alphael – “Well, I suppose it does for a mercenary, but it kind of forces us to stay away from war. I would like to say that we are united, but it’s not really the case. We are more like a bunch of passing points where everyone speaks two languages, their own dialect and the tongue of currency and trades. There, if you’re rich, you’ll be at peace, but if you’re not, you’ll end up a slave.”

Nelis – “If there are already poor people, why do you come all the way over here to buy slaves? Can’t you just enslave people close to your own land?”

Alphael – “Well, in my homeland, a slave doesn’t last as long as they do in yours. Most of ours come from everywhere else. Besides, I usually sell spices in the East, so to me, it’s a bonus along the way.”

Jowrik strongly exhaled and walked toward his tent.

Jowrik – “Good night.”

Alphael – “Is he alright?”

Nelis – “He used to be a slave, so we probably reminded him of bad memories.”

Alphael – “I see. That’s unfortunate.”

After a moment, the day completely left the forest, forcing Lanaya and Petra to stop their training.

Lanaya – “Petra, you’ll do the second guard shift with Jowrik. Owen and Jurren, you’re doing the first one.”

Alphael – “I’d like to stay with you all, but my bed is calling me.”

Jurren and Owen took their weapon before entering the depth of the night as they were scouting the area. All the others ended up leaving the campfire one after the others until only Nelis and Lanaya were still remaining. Nelis grabbed a transverse flute from his bag and whistled lightly while gazing at the dancing flames. Hearing the mellow sound of the lullaby, Lanaya came and sat back-to-back with him.

Lanaya – “You’re not going to sleep?”

Nelis laid his flute on his leg while turning his head left.

Nelis – “I’m warming up a bit near the fire. What about you?”

Lanaya – “Gazing at the stars, like usual.”

Nelis – “Do you remember it?”

Lanaya looked at him, perplexed.

Nelis – “Your homeland?”

Lanaya – “I don’t know if I ever had the right to call it home. I don’t really miss it. I miss my mother, though. But watching the stars makes me feel at peace.”

Nelis – “Cause you know she’s watching you?”

Lanaya – “Not exactly, she isn’t watching me. Angels are supposed to die when there is no light. It’s the reason why they almost never come to this world. During the day, their home illuminates our world, but during the night, if they dare to stay, they will die before the end of it. Yet here I am. It’s even hard for me to believe I was truly living there.”

Nelis – “Well, I think anyone can tell you’re beyond human norms. And you certainly don’t look like a simple human. You look purer in every way.”

Lanaya – “And yet my blood isn’t.’’

Nelis – “You’re more than a bag of blood.”

Lanaya smiled while closing her eyes.

Lanaya – “You’re so bad at giving compliments that one could believe you’re doing it on purpose.”

Nelis – “I’m sorry . . .”

He raised his flute and resumed his melody. Once it was complete, he placed his flute back in a sheet and stored it in his bag.

Nelis – “If it’s not to look at them, then why do you like gazing at the moon and the stars so much?”

Lanaya – “Because it’s the light of judgement. When an angel disobeys the will of Aya, Nocna Mora’s duty is to banish them back to the Lux. The shadows of Nocna should have hunted me down that night and all nights since. Watching it reminds me that were Aya to ever choose she wanted to get rid of me, she could do it in a snap and I wouldn’t have any say in it.”

Nelis – “Couldn’t it be your mother’s blessing?”

Lanaya – “My mother can’t prevent Aya’s will. That’s not how an angel’s blessing works.”

Nelis – “I know . . . When someone helpful joins your rank, you always thank your mother for placing them in your way.”

Lanaya – “I’ve never done it out loud.”

Nelis – “After watching you for so long, I can almost read your lips.”

Lanaya was silent.

Nelis – “Are you thanking her right now?”

Lanaya – “Yes.”

Nelis – “You know she has nothing to do with my expertise?”

Lanaya – “She chose the scarlet peaks because you were heading there. In a way, she trusted you.”

Nelis – “I call that luck.”

Lanaya – “Many give it that name.”

Nelis – “So, you watch the night to determine if you’ll see another day?”

Lanaya – “It’s not like anything can be done about it . . . Besides, the cold of the night shows me that I’m not in a dream, which is reassuring.”

Nelis – “I didn’t know that you had nightmares. Since when did they start?”

Lanaya – “I don’t really have nightmares. I just hate dreams because we lose control over what is happening. I’d rather be able to make the wrong call than just be a bystander.”

Nelis – “I see.”

Lanaya – “Why did you ask that tonight of all nights?”

Nelis – “Well, today, I truly felt for the first time that your luck had run out. I was almost certain that we would end up fighting our way out. I was trying to address it and didn’t know where to start.”

Lanaya – “As long as I have the blessing of my mother, I’ll be fine. And I’m quite sure that you are part of her blessing. Thank you for today.”

Lanaya leaned her head on Nelis’s shoulder. Her sight was slowly getting blurry as her eyelids closed. She stayed like that while Nelis stared at the fire, which was slowly being consumed by the night.

Lanaya – “What do you like so much about fires?”

Nelis – “What do you mean?”

Lanaya – “You watch them as much as I watch the moonlight, so there’s got to be a reason, right?”

Nelis – “Not really. I just like to be warmed up.”

Lanaya – “So, you like it when I lean on your back like that?”

Nelis – “Well, yeah . . . But I doubt I’m the only one appreciating it. Sometimes, it’s good to know that you have a family.”

Lanaya – “Yeah, this band really feels like it.”

Nelis – “To be honest, I feel like the outcome of what we do has lost its meaning over time. It’s more about making sure everyone’s all right because they truly are my silver lining. I still wish for you to achieve your dream and I’ll help, but it’s not my priority.”

Lanaya – “It’s ok. As long as you’re by my side, I know I’ll achieve it. You don’t need to want it for me to work on it my whole life.”

Nelis – “Well, I still hope we will be alive to see it.”

Lanaya – “You’re not going to die on the battlefield; I can feel it.”

Nelis – “You’re right, but it’s been a couple of years already and it’s such an immense project that I don’t think one human life would be enough. I mean, you don’t seem to be aging as fast as we do, so it should be fine for you, but well . . . Forget it. . .”

Lanaya – “I’m sure you’ll live to see it.”

Nelis took a rag close to him and shared it with Lanaya. He then slowly closed his own eyes before letting the muscles of his neck relax. The fire was now only made of embers, which were slowly leaving the area into the dark curtain of the night.