Like she neededhimto point that out.
“I just got here.”
“You look like you’re ready to leave already.”
Iryana bristled. “No, not at all.”
“You don’t seem like the celebratory type.” His eyes narrowed. “Hoping to run into my brother?”
“Hardly. I am here to let loose, like everyone else.” She shrugged, gesturing out to the crowd.
“I find that surprising.”
“Well, you hardly know me.”
“Still, I can’t imagine you dancing.”
She laughed dryly. “Me? You’re about as joyful as a stone tower.”
He shrugged. “But Ihavedanced tonight. You have not. Although if your idea of letting loose is just getting drunk, then I suppose you must be having a fantastic evening.”
Why was he always such a pain? He was uniquely talented at making her mad.
She narrowed her eyes at him and took a deep swig from her flask. Then Iryana stood, stepping closer to him. Pyetar watched her with an entertained look in his eyes.
“Well, it’s a bit hard to join in when you’re blocking my way,” she pointed out, hands on her hips.
Pyetar quirked a brow and stepped aside. “Go ahead then. I won’t stop you.”
Iryana shot him a glare as she moved past, filling her flask from one of the large barrels. She watched as the musicians began to start playing, and her bravery dwindled.
With a curse, she drained half the wine, welcoming the fire that moved down her throat and strengthened her limbs. She clipped the flask to the leather belt around her waist and moved toward the dancers.
A quick glance behind her showed that Pyetar was still watching, probably expecting her to chicken out. Iryana swallowed, hoping to settle the nerves in her belly, because she would not let him win.
The fiddler started the base tune that always went with one of the more popular dances, and everyone seemed to recognize the dance instantly. The soldiers formed a circle, and Iryana found herself herded toward the middle of the line, and then they all clasped hands.
“Iryana!” Vaneshta cheered as she saw her from across the circle.
She offered an overly enthusiastic smile in return, hoping to hide her nerves.
Her arm jerked as they all began to move, and Iryana sucked in a deep breath. It had been years, but her feet somehow remembered the steps.
It was a song danced mostly on one’s toes, moving into the center of the form and then backing away as the circle turned. The trills played by the flutist urged their steps bigger, the circle spinning faster. The steady beat of the drum sent energy through Iryana’s veins, slowly loosening the grip on her throat.
She felt like she was floating, flying even, lost in the hopping, skipping, spinning, swinging. Time slipped away as the song and dance changed again and again, and she even found herself laughing when they came to a dance she didn’t recognize. A nearby soldier had to talk her through the steps as she was dragged around, stumbling to keep up.
It wasfun. Why had she waited so long to join in the dancing? She couldn’t remember. And anytime her flask went dry, she found someone offering a replacement.
She was solidly drunk.
“Did you hear about all the dakii moving into the area?” the dancer ahead of her in line shouted over the music. “Heard we haven’t ever seen so many passing along the mountains. Hopefully, they don’t come further west.”
Iryana smiled and nodded.
She had seen large groups pass along Yuresh Valley before, but as long as they didn’t pick up a scent of the post, they typically kept moving. The brigade would have to lie low for a week, so maybe she would have more time to train.
And to recover from all the drinking—she hadn’t drunk so much in a long time.
