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When it didn’t lunge at her or show any signs of aggression, Iryana continued around them, her eyes glued to the creatures the entire time. They didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

That, at least, was a good sign.

The fort was as much a flurry of activity as her post, despite the deep winter. They were reinforcing the walls, pushing the piles of snow into berms to hide spikes, building all sorts of weapons that could be thrown over the walls at any creatures that came too close.

The pull on Thelbiz’s mark was taking her right past the fort, so she had decided to let Pyetar know what she was doing.

There had been another earthquake as she was hurrying toward the estate. This one was just a small tremor, though it still worried her. As the ground settled, she saw Vaneshta coming from the opposite direction.

“I didn’t know you were visiting!” Vaneshta smiled, pulling her in for a tight hug. “I almost missed you.”

Her old roommate wasn’t usually much of a hugger, but Vaneshta was squeezing her so hard she almost had to tap out.

Iryana just squeezed her back. “How are things?”

“Well, Lidishta says I’m being more of a hard-ass than usual, but I think she secretly likes it.” The smile on her face looked a little forced.

“Remember to look after yourself.”

“Did you come just to tell me that?” Vaneshta teased her. “Or did you want to get wasted? I think we could use it. Unfortunately, I’m heading out though, so—”

“I’m actually here to talk to Pyetar.” Though she really could use an evening drinking with her old roommate.

“Good! You can talk some sense into him.”

“What do you mean?” Iryana frowned.

“Ever since he brought back the news that… you know… he’s been working himself into the ground.”

“Oh.” She wasn’t sure if she was about to make it worse for him. “I’ll see what I can do.”

She should have known that was coming, she’d seen the way he’d looked.

“I’ve seriously got to go, but be safe.” Vaneshta squeezed her arm and stared at her a few moments longer than she really needed to, as if trying to let her command sink in.

Iryana nodded, shaking off the disappointment as her friend marched off. She looked down the snow-bordered road toward the estate. What state was she going to find Pyetar in?

She found him on the barracks wall, watching the training going on in the parade yard. There were three captains surrounding him, rattling off reports and asking questions. They were all heavily bundled up against the cold.

When Pyetar saw Iryana, his eyes flared wide with surprise, but instead of immediately sending the others away like last time, he gestured for her to wait. Iryana leaned over the wall and watched the training below. It was hard to imagine she had been among them only last summer. It felt like a lifetime had passed since then.

When he was done receiving the reports, Pyetar joined her.

She looked up at him, noting the dark half-moons below his eyes. The clumps of ice and snow stuck in his short beard.

“Did something happen?” he asked, a tense readiness to his broad shoulders.

She hesitated to mention the calling immediately, so she started with a different topic.

“I met with the conclave again, finally got word from the duchess. I sent word already about the new creatures, but we continue to see them.” Iryana sighed. “I got a closer look at them on my way here. They almost look like armored bears. Like a cross between the armadillos of the south and black bears. But up close, I think their fur is really dark green.”

Pyetar nodded. “We’ve seen them. They haven’t attacked us yet, so I have ordered everyone to leave them be.”

“I’ve done the same. I don’t know whose side they’re on, but the less the gods turn their attention to us, the better.”

“This makes the dakii, the fox-serpent, the dragon, and the armored bears.” He hesitated. “I have also heard rumors from the River Brigades that the creature they’ve seen in their rivers has begun breaking up the ice.”

“So, five creatures and there are five gods.” Iryana laughed dryly. “It would be our luck that the dragon belongs to Noshtiz. Maybe that’s what Thelbiz worries about—it burning Istri to the ground.”