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Lidishta immediately shook her head. “No, I need to do this. And these Steelsworn of Noshtiz? They’re the ones that forged me like this. This is revenge.”

Vaneshta’s gaze hardened at that, her lip quirking up. “Very well. We’ll get revenge for you.”

Vabihn hooted at that. “I’m always game for a bit of revenge, count me in.”

“What about your wife?” Pyetar argued. “Are you that bored at home?”

Vabihn shrugged with his usual uncaring grin, but there was something desperate and self-conscious in his eyes. “I can’t do her any good here. My presence is more vexing than helpful. She’s better off with her sister. All I’m good at is killing things, so let me help you.”

“I’m coming,” Pepha announced, Mezhimar immediately following with, “Then me too.”

“That’s our team then,” Iryana declared, worried about her friends taking on such a risk but happy to have them fighting at her side.

“Don’t forget me,” Hadima said, chin raised high as she met Iryana’s eyes.

“What? Hadima, you’re not a fighter.”

“No, but I have my imbued poisons and my darts. They might not have worked on the dakii, but they’re more than strong enough to take down a grown man.”

Iryana was already shaking her head, voice rising into a plea. “Hadi, the last time I agreed to let you take a risk like this, you almost died. Don’t ask me to risk you like that again.”

The others looked away awkwardly, giving them a moment.

“I know,” Hadima breathed, but there was a sharpness to her gaze. “But this is different. Don’t think I didn’t hear what Pyetar said about your forgings. We will be talking about that more later. But if you’re going to have to use them for this, my magic might be the only thing that can bring you back from that. My imbued medicine is more potent if used immediately. There’s plenty here at the fort for me to bring what I might need.”

Iryana was breathing quickly, images of Hadima laying bloody and broken on the forest floor flooding her vision. Hadima’s arms were immediately around her.

“You’re too valuable, Hadima. You’re our clan’s healer,” Iryana choked out.

“Our clan needs you more than they need me.”

“But Misha needs you more.”

Hadima’s face crumpled. “She needs us both. This is the best way for us both to come home to her.”

“If something happens to us, Misha will never forgive us.”

“Then we make sure nothing happens to us.”

Iryana finally nodded, though it almost killed her to do so. “But don’t take any risks you don’t have to.”

“We’ll keep her safe,” Vabihn declared, his voice so loud compared to the soft tones Iryana had used to talk to her sister.

“I’ll make sure she knows everything she needs to,” Vaneshta added. If anyone would have the right protocols memorized and be able to drill them into Hadima’s mind in a short time, it was Vaneshta.

Iryana wiped away her tears, smiling weakly at the others. “Can you have a messenger take a letter to my post?” Iryana asked Pyetar.

“Of course. And I need to talk to the major, make sure he is prepared to handle things here for a few days,” Pyetar said tightly, and Iryana could see the stress on his shoulders.

Iryana took a slow, deep breath and headed to Pyetar’s desk to write to the First.

Setting the hand-cut goose-feather quill on the desk with a soft clack, Iryana blew on the paper to help the ink dry. She knew her grandmother would understand, and hopefully she wouldn’t be gone for too long. Hopefully she’d bring herself and Hadima back safely with the means to protect their clan.

She couldn’t help but think about what Misha’s reaction would be once the First told the clan what Iryana and Hadima were doing. Would she feel abandoned? Left out? Worry that she was about to be alone in the world? Iryana hated the idea of doing that to her sister. She pulled out another paper, writing out another message to Misha, explaining things to her and promising they would come back. That Iryana would never abandon her.

With both letters written, Iryana took the time to breathe, to push her fears and worries into little boxes in her mind. She couldn’t bring them with her on their mission—they would just get in the way.

The door clicked open, and Pyetar slipped inside.