Her beautiful laugh was the last thing he heard as the world drifted away.
1
Mave
Mave raised her sword and roared as bodies dropped and blood sprayed. Andinna around her raised their swords as well. She felt powerful. She felt undefeatable as the Elvasi ran for their lives. Her soul rang out with the trueness of the moment, feeling perfectly at home in the carnage. This was her place.
Another battle fought.
Another victory.
This was her spring season. With the world coming to life after a long winter, she was on the battlefield, bringing death. Beside her, warriors were ready to give their lives to the rebellion.
Their commander landed in the middle of the battlefield and raised his sword as well.
“For the glory of the Andinna!” Nevyn yelled over the Andinna high on the victory.
“For the glory of the Andinna,” they roared in return.
“What’s the news?” Mave called out, moving to get to his side. As she ran for him, the Andinna parted for her to pass through easily. Some even kicked the bodies of Elvasi out of the way. “Nevyn, what’s the news?” A messenger had caught up to them as they had prepared the assault. Nevyn had told the male to wait for them to finish the fight before he would entertain a message from home.
Nevyn saw her, and she saw the glow of joy in his eyes. He was also riding the high of their victory. There was something else, though.
“We’ve been asked to come home,” he answered. “Alchan thinks we’ve done enough for now. We’ll be heading back and letting his second wave head out for summer.”
Mave nodded, accepting the information, and looked around.
“How many?” she asked softly.
“We’ve probably killed over two-thousand Elvasi and human soldiers in the Empire’s army since the beginning of spring,” Nevyn answered, crossing his arms as he looked around as well. “It’s been a good campaign.”
“Agreed.”
And now it was time to go home. Mave smiled. Now, it was time to go home with stories of victory to tell her people.
Mave was on the back of a horse at midday as she crossed over the ridge into the valley, with nearly two hundred warriors behind her. Kian rode at her side while Nevyn and Varon rode just ahead of them. They were the only members of the Ivory Shadows who had gone on the long campaign. The others were waiting for them in the village that was finally in her sight.
Below her, visible from the ridge, was the village she called home. She hadn’t seen it in a season, but now it was right in front of her. Her heart threatened to burst from her chest as their slow ride took them closer, step by step. Her blood called out to its bonded lover, who wasn’t in the valley for some reason.
“We’re almost there,” Kian said softly.
“Almost,” she agreed. “Can you believe we’ve missed all of spring?”
“Sometimes, that’s just the way of things. Alchan sent us out to handle Shadra’s initial push into the mountains on the eastern front, and we did. I’m just glad he’s finally called us back.”
Me, too…sort of.
Mave chuckled at her indecision. It had been an exciting season, and a large part of her had craved it after the long, cold winter. She was almost sad to be called back to the village.
An entire season. As winter had given way to spring, they had received word that Shadra was with her troops, just south of the Dragon Spine, ending her time of grieving for Lothen early. She started sending troops into the mountains the moment she had arrived and faster than the Andinna had been able to prepare.
Alchan had responded by sending out strong units to crush her attempts to create forward camps early in the new year. If they put her down early enough, it would be harder for her to gain traction later in the year.
So, Mave had kissed all of her husbands goodbye, all needing to do their own work for the rebellion. She got onto a horse and left with her father—technically adopted, but no one ever mentioned that part—and left to fight Elvasi in the unit led by Nevyn. They had headed southeast of the main village and done exactly as Alchan had asked of them. They crushed every Elvasi camp they could find and pushed Shadra back out of the mountains, at least for the time being.
They rode into the village, laughing as they were welcomed home. It was a hero’s