“I can’t wait.” She was genuinely excited after being on the road for so long. “What will you all do first?”

“The first thing I am going to do is drink a Crimson Dragon,” Fritz proclaimed.

“You’re such a drunk,” Larel teased.

“A what?” Vhalla asked.

“A Crimson Dragon is a type of drink,” Aldrik answered from her left. “It is made with Western spiced alcohol, has a sharp taste, and is very strong.”

“I want to try one too, then.” She smiled back at Fritz and the messy-haired Southerner went off planning a grand adventure for the three of them to have. Larel tried to wrangle in his grandiose dreams and the two were bantering back and forth within minutes.

“Vhalla,” Aldrik said in a voice that was meant only for her. She swung her eyes up to him. “There’s something I want to tell you.”

“Yes?” His tone made her pulse race.

“At the Crossroads, I have some ... business I will attend to with Elecia.”

Vhalla was more worried at how delicate he was being with the subject than the words themselves. What had him looking so uncomfortable? “What is it?”

“You do not need to worry about it.” His eyes were guarded.

“Aldrik, you promised me—”

“Vhalla,” he hissed. She brought a hand to her mouth glancing around quickly to see if anyone noticed her slip in forgetting his title. “I will tell you, I promise. But only when the time is right.”

“When will the time be right?” she pressed.

“When it is over and sorted.” His tone told her she’d get no more information on the matter. Vhalla sighed softly. “It should only be two days, three at most. I will find you after and tell you everything.”

“All right.” Vhalla nodded and put on a brave face for the rest of the day. But his words rattled in her brain with every step, echoing into the night.

THE DAY WAS sticky, and her hair clung to her face and neck with sweat as she pulled off the helm. She looked up at the dense trees overhead, gnarled and thick with brush and vines. Her mind lamented over the last time she had seen the unbroken sky. A bird darted between the foliage before breaking through to the heavens above. She found herself wishing she could do the same.

The smell of ash and fire filled her nose, an all too familiar scent that she barely noticed anymore. Her gaze returned to the earth, and back over the destruction that had been wrought. The last of the survivors were being put to the sword. Blood was splattered over her own armor, the crimson turning dark against the black of the scale and plate.

Vhalla vaguely recognized something being distinctly off. The edge of awareness of something amiss crept upon her.

She walked back to her tent. No, not hers; or was it? Trying to think was too difficult, like she was fighting the obvious.

Inside was the same familiar area on the floor with pillows and a small table, though this time it was near the bed. A large rectangular table and chairs dominated the other space. It was messy with papers that spilled onto the floor, and she pulled off her large gauntlets, dropping them haphazardly.

Her breath became ragged and she turned. With a sweep of her arms she pushed all the papers and documents onto the floor with a grunt. She slammed her hands down on the table and felt her shoulders shake.

This town had not been part of the militia. Perhaps a few had joined the resistance, but all had been put to flame and steel. Her nails dug into the wood of the table as she muffled a frustrated cry. No one could hear her pain. She couldn’t let the soldiers catch wind of her turmoil. She never could.

The eyes of the dead lingered with her, their pleading, fearful eyes as she rounded them up in flames and burned them alive. It never got easier with time. The memories were never lighter to bear.

Regaining control, she began to pull off her armor. She really needed someone’s help for the larger plate but she couldn’t be bothered as she burned through the leather clasps hidden beneath it. She’d fix it later.

If her sins were as easy to remove as her armor, she may be able to sleep at night. She rubbed her eyes tiredly. With a sigh she began to rummage through a bag hidden by her bed, fishing for the only thing that could wash away her pain and drown their cries. A call halted her actions.

“My prince.” The voice was familiar, one of Baldair’s men.

“Enter.” Her voice was deep. A man with dark hair and eyes entered the tent, and she assessed him viciously, uninterested in entertaining company and fully hoping he would realize this. “How may I be of assistance?” she asked briskly.

“Today,” he took a step forward, his movements jerky; she wondered if he had beaten her to the bottle. “Today you led the assault, did you not?” He was still in his armor, covered to his elbows in blood and ash.

“I did.” She was already annoyed with this discussion. Despite what the soldiers thought of her, the last thing that she wanted to do was re-hash her murders. “If there is nothing else ...” She turned her back on the man, pretending to be interested in picking up the scattered papers. Just the limited words he said had brought the horrified faces back to her mind.

“H-he would’ve been twenty-two,” the man rambled. “He had dark hair, like us; he was of the West.”

She picked up a paper, continuing to ignore him; the man didn’t seem to get the hint.