He didn’t respond.
Eventually, his breathing slowed, and Katell lay on her back, staring into the flickering shadows above.
She listened to the rise and fall of his breath, steady as ever, while her thoughts spiralled in the silence.
When sleep finally came, it was shallow, restless, and filled with dreams of another lifetime.
Dreams of Camp Bessi.
Sunlight filtered through leaves, dancing on the surface of a creek. She sat with her feet in the water, the warmth of summer on her skin. Alena’s carefree laughter rang out. Scylas grinned as he splashed through the shallows, and Leywani’s voice drifted on the breeze, singing an old tune from home.
They were all there. Whole and happy.
Alena turned to her with a smile, achingly real, and said her name the way only a sister could.
Kat.
Then the dream was gone—the creek, the sun, the sound of Alena’s laughter—all dissolving into the cold air of the tent.
Katell woke with tears on her cheeks and the weight of a promise she hadn’t kept.
The next day dawned grey,the sky heavy with the promise of snow. The camp beyond the tent was already alive. Hooves thudded against packed earth, voices barked orders, but inside, it was still warm, the hearth reduced to glowing embers.
Katell fastened the last strap of her gear. She needed to leave soon. Arnza and Pinaria had agreed to meet her by one of the barricade watchtowers, along with Romilda.
Dorias stood near the entrance, framed by the open flaps, arms crossed over his chest. Pale light edged his silhouette, but his eyes never left her.
“How’s the armour?” he asked, tracking every movement.
She rolled her shoulders, adjusting the black leather breastplate, stiff from repairs after her fight with the Northerner. “A bit tight across the ribs, but otherwise fine.”
“Keep it on you at all times,” he said, the command threaded with concern. “Especially in enemy territory. And be careful. Thocero won’t be there to patch you up if you get yourself half-dead again.”
Katell shot him a sly smile. “Are you worried about me, Legate Dalmatius?”
He arched an eyebrow, deadpan but warm. “Always.”
She turned to retrieve her pack, but before her fingers closed around the strap, Dorias caught her wrist. Without a word, he pulled her behind the canvas partition, shielding them from the world outside. The movement was fluid, carried out with the ease of someone used to getting what he wanted.
Then his mouth was on hers.
The kiss was slow but unyielding, weighted with everything he couldn’t say aloud. His hand slid to the back of her neck, holding her there, claiming the moment as though they had all the time in the world.
When they parted, his voice was quieter. “If you succeed in infiltrating Tiryns, the Twelfth will take over and with any luck, the war against Achaea will be over.”
He hesitated, just for a breath, then added, “Once we’re in Kisra… we could take some time. I have an estate nearPumpai. By the sea. Vineyards, orchards, warm winds. It’s quiet. Beautiful.”
His gaze searched hers. “We could go there. If you’d like.”
Katell smiled. “After months in this cold, spending time alone with you under the sun sounds perfect.”
She leaned in and pressed her lips to his, savouring the last kiss they would share for a long time, memorising the feel of him.
Then, without another word, they stepped outside into the crisp morning air, each carrying a saddlebag slung over one shoulder. The camp bustled around them, soldiers eating breakfast around their campfires, saluting Dorias as they walked past.
They reached the barricade watchtower just as the pale sun crested the eastern hills. The towering wooden structure loomed above, its shadow long on the frozen ground. Pinaria and Arnza were already there, wrapped in thick wool cloaks, their saddlebags at their feet. They straightened at the sight of Dorias, saluting with sharp precision.
Moments later, Romilda arrived, her usual smirk in place, boots crunching over frost. “I hope you all have strong loins, soldiers,” she said, tone dry and amused. “We’ve got six jumps ahead of us, and I don’t intend to waste time resting just because one of you can’t keep up.”
