“When it comes to things you desperately need, you stop caring about whether it arrives early or late or anything like that. All that matters is that it arrives at all. If that is not what occupies your mind when such a thing arrives, then perhaps you didn’t need it that desperately after all.” - Saying attributed to Xaliburnus the Conqueror, First Emperor of the Elmaiya Empire.

Eilonwy had one of her bone constructs respond to the cavalier using gestures, while the remaining ten scaled the wall of the city – something the constructs did with ease given the light weight of their bodies – and went to the gatehouse. There the constructs operated the mechanism that opened the city’s gate, while the one left behind guided the cavalry towards where Aideen and the survivors were.

Many of the survivors retreated in fright and not a little panic when they saw the black-clad cavalry on skeletal steeds, but fortunately the panic had not spread and instead calmed down when they saw that the newcomers meant them no harm. Rhys and Áine went with Aideen to receive the cavalrymen, and fortunately, whoever sent them ahead had the forethought to make them bring extra rations for the survivors.

“It is not much, Milady, merely our usual rations in quantity, but we hoped that it could help tide things over until His Holiness arrives here,” said the woman who led the unit apologetically as she handed the storage rings with the rations to Aideen. “We apologize for not being able to prepare something better on this occasion.”

“It is plenty, and greatly appreciated, Commander,” replied Aideen with a neutral title as she was not acquainted with the woman in charge of the detachment. It was only after she said those words that her mind processed what exactly was said by the woman. “Wait. Did you just say that the Bone Lord is coming here in person?” she asked with surprise evident in her voice.

“Yes, Milady. His Holiness had ordered an emergency mobilization on the night of the Divine Punishment,” said the woman as she nodded in affirmation to Aideen’s query. She also confirmed to Aideen that the Divine Punishment was something observable even from great distances, since she assumed that Grandpa Aarin was in Tohrmutgent when it happened. “We were unaware of your presence here until we met Lady Kino close to the border over a week ago.”

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“I see. Can your people help out? I have nearly a thousand people to feed here, so it’ll take a while to do the cooking with just the three of us,” said Aideen.

“Certainly, Milady. Just let us know what you need done,” said the woman with another bow of acquiescence.

The rations packed for the Wings of Night were pretty standard military rations. The grains were mostly brown rice that had been cooked and then dehydrated, which shrunk it into a size between that of cooked and uncooked rice. Such rice would take a shorter time to rehydrate for consumption compared to uncooked rice and lasted longer to boot.

Other than that, they also carried generous portions of dried meats and fruits, salted fish, as well as dry cheeses, which gave their diet a good balance of nutrients and also kept them from becoming bored of only having the same thing to eat every day. Typically while on the move they would just make a thick stew by boiling everything together in a pot, and Aideen had something similar in mind for the survivors she had been caring for the past week.

While she managed to keep them fed, they were rather malnourished and their stomachs had grown accustomed to the thin, soupy porridge that was all they could afford with their limited rations. It was not as bad as people who actually starved for long periods, but directly introducing solid food or foods that were too heavy might negatively impact the survivors, so Aideen went for something in between.

She had several cauldrons set up where they made a smooth porridge with the dehydrated rice, a bit on the thinner side, but still a good bit more substantial than what the survivors had been eating for the past month. The dried meats and salted fish served as flavoring as well as additional nutrients, mixed directly into the porridge after they had been crumbled into tiny pieces, as were the cheese.

As for the dried fruits, Aideen had something else in mind and cooked them in a large pot of water, allowing them to be rehydrated while at the same time lending their flavor to the liquid. She added a good amount of honey from her own storage to it and allowed it to cook until it thickened a bit, which took a good while given the size of the cauldron.

That day, the survivors found themselves enjoying bowls of meaty, cheesy, smooth porridge that sated the gnawing hunger that accompanied them for the past month, yet remained easy enough for their undernourished body to digest and absorb. Some of them shed tears at the taste of finally being able to fill their bellies once more, though Aideen took care to not let anyone overeat, for their own well-being.

After they ate, some of the cavalrymen distributed bowls of the syrup Aideen had been cooking on the side, diluted with some cold water. Each bowl had a few pieces of rehydrated fruit floating in them and served as a sweet end to the meal that further nourished the bodies of the survivors.

The bright looks on the faces of the children amongst the survivors and the hopeful looks on those of the adults were the only reward they needed, while Aideen helped herself to the food as well, which was the first time she did so in the past month. She had been abstaining since she was the only one around who could survive just fine without eating.

Áine, Rhys, and Eilonwy also ate with gusto, as the three had been sharing the same diet as the survivors and had been feeling weak themselves due to a lack of proper food.