“And Ro’s with her sister?” he asked.
I furrowed my brow. “Not that I’m aware.” I hadn’t interacted with Ro much, but knew who she was. She often slipped into meetings I had with Radhak. Mira liked her, and her odd little pet dragon.
He leveled me with a look of concern. “I can’t even recall the last time I saw her…”
I made a conscious effort not to glance at the fresh dirt mounds spread across the field. “I’m sure she’ll turn up,” I offered half-heartedly.
“She better, or I’ll kick her ass,” he said, aggressively pressing his thumb into his nearly shaking palm.
With nothing to console him, I said, “I came to suggest that the rest of the camp relocate to Solei. You saw how empty that village was, there’s plenty of room. And I think we could all use strength in numbers right about now. Not to mention, you have a few dozen capable soldiers with you in case things sour with the locals.”
Ravinder’s throat bobbed. “Rahana was Radhak’s legacy. He named it for our people, a place they could stay. Live. Rest without worry or fear.”
Asking him to abandon this patch of land was like asking him to abandon his brother, even if it was for the best. “The legacy was the people he saved. That you both saved.”
“I should have been here.” His voice cracked, betraying the weight of his guilt.
I stepped forward, pulling him into an embrace, delivering hard slaps against his back. “Don’t put that on yourself. You couldn’t have known.” My own eyes welled, recognizing the pain he felt. How the lashing guilt over lives you couldn’t save never stopped bleeding. I carried that shit for decades until it’d rotted away parts of my soul.
Ravinder was on his own journey now, a treacherous one that would lead him down dark paths and steep cliffs. All I could do was let him know he had support.
He returned a few claps to my back before we stepped apart. “Thanks. I’ll think about it. See what they want to do.” He gazed over the camp that lay in ruins, a few dozen people out and about hobbling things together.
I was about to ask him to send Jasper to the castle when he next saw him, but as if my thoughts conjured that stony gargoyle, he appeared over the treetops. I threw my hand up to flag him down. He cut through the air, landing in a run until he caught up with us, surveying the bloody, battered field.
“Gods,” he muttered. “What happened?”
“Windguard soldiers crossed the river,” I volunteered so Rav wouldn’t have to.
“Those assholes did this?!” He dragged his gray hands over his bald head.
Ravinder nodded, jaw flexing, no doubt biting down his anger.
“I’m glad I caught you. There’s been trouble near Solei, too,” I said.
“The girls?!” Fear flashed across his face, his wings tensing as if he were preparing to fly directly to them.
“They’re fine. Mira’s at the castle and Calista’s in Solei. There’s just some folks not too keen on magically blessed outsiders moving into their territory. Even shanked the king to prove their point.” I dragged a hand down my face.
“What the fuuuck. Is he okay?” Jasper asked.
“I got to him in time. He’s back at the castle now. What’s the situation at home?” I crossed my arms, shifting on my feet, waiting to hear the report.
He stretched his hand over his shoulder, rubbing at his neck. “There isn’t anywhere things aren’t fucked right up, is there?”
“I guess not.” I shrugged.
“A few are still stubborn enough to stay behind. Others are too concerned about the ogres to move across the border, but another hundred or so have at least moved further down.”
“And the curse?”
“Hasn’t changed, so that’s one thing working in our favor. Still dark and angry where it lives, though. Surprisingly, the twinklers don’t seem scared of it. Fearless little light bugs.”
I exhaled a deep breath, considering how difficult it would be to convince citizens of Argora Vale to flee to Highcrest if the threat of war and social persecution seemed imminent, when my thoughts snagged on something Jasper said.
“The twinklers aren’t scared of it?”
“Nope. Must not hurt ‘em.”
