“Thank you, Alys,” Kara whispered and they hugged once more before Alys disappeared towards Hale’s encampment.
Sienna watched her go, then turned back and grinned at Sebastian. “Your turn.”
To his shock and mild horror, Sienna threw her arms around him. He stiffened, unsure whether to pull away or just endure it. He settled for awkwardly patting her on the back once. Kara giggled at him.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, Sebastian,” Sienna said as she let him go. “It’s really good to see you.”
Sebastian cleared his throat, scowling more at himself than her. “Ah – yeah. You too.”
“I told you, didn’t I?” Sienna said conspiratorially to Kara. “I told you that you wouldn’t bring him back.”
Kara’s cheeks flushed. “You may have had a point.”
“I was completely right, you mean.”
“Not about all of it – you told me not to go!”
“And I’m so glad you ignored me,” Sienna smiled. “Look at you both now.”
Sebastian frowned, he was clearly missing something.
Sienna looked at Sebastian, then gestured towards Kara, face alight with amusement. “She was an absolute mess, you know. The morning the Council sent her after you – crying at the thought of bringing you back for trial before she’d even mounted her valmare.”
Kara made a strangled sound of protest, her face blazing scarlet. “Sienna!”
He turned his gaze back to Kara, who refused to look at him.
She cried for me.
Kara muttered something else under her breath that Sebastian didn’t catch. Sienna only laughed, looped her arm through Kara’s and whispered cheekily. The conversation clearly no longer meant for his ears.
“Captains, with me,” Sebastian said, shifting back to command. “I still need to inspect the northern lines. See where we’re vulnerable.”
And they all walked on.
“This camp is something else,” Sienna said, louder now. More serious. “I’ve been helping Caldris and Lyra with their drills – mind and emotion work, you know? Keeping the ranks steady when the fear sets in.” She gestured towards the ridges. “Sorrel’s got the high ground, archers everywhere. And your Hale healers...” She smiled at her. “They’re setting up supply lines like it’s a bloody art form. Everyone came, Kara. Everyone.”
Sienna brushed a strand of golden hair away from her face. “Got an earful from my sister this morning for wanting to find you. Fraternising with traitors, apparently.” She rolled her eyes. “Ridiculous. You’re my friends.”
Friends? Sebastian had thought he wasn’t allowed that anymore. Not after everything. The words warmed him more than he’d say. But duty focused him and so he stalked ahead, whilst Kara and Sienna trailed behind, giggling like girls at a festival. He smiled despite himself.
Gods help me. You’d never guess we could all be killed tomorrow.
But maybe that was exactly why they laughed – snatching joy where they could find it.
As he approached the Hale forests and the edge of their lines, a mark on a large rock caught his eye. A circle, broken at the top.
It looked–
No, that wasn’t possible.
The edges were softened. Rain-worn.
But that would mean–
Not recent.
Fuck.
