“We can continue to disrupt. We have to fall back, we can do that. We can run her army ragged until she can’t keep this up. We can destroy valleys, blow passes, drop mountains on their heads. We can evacuate this village and head further north, letting her chase us all the way north to Leria. If she doesn’t give up by then, with the damage we can do to her, at least we’ll be in a better place to take her in a fight.”
“I want falling back to be our last resort,” Alchan whispered. “Don’t mention it too loudly, or they’ll worry we can’t hold out for long. The last thing I want is the cowards running back to Olost, thinking this was a fool’s game.”
“If any of them run back to Olost, we don’t want them in our free Anden, anyway,” Luykas retorted with a growl. “They won’t be welcomed back when we win.”
Luykas would fight in this war until he won…or he died. He didn’t tell Alchan he had calculated the odds and knew which of those was more likely.
People were looking at him. Staring back, he dared them to make eye contact, but they all smartly dropped their eyes.
“All right.” Alchan patted his shoulder. “Now, let’s get some concrete plans set, so we can move forward.”
Bryn walked in and headed straight for them.
“I’m heading out,” he said without preamble. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. If I see anyone, I’ll send them home.”
“Thank you. Good luck,” Alchan said, reaching out to shake Bryn’s hand, then Bryn turned on Luykas.
“Good luck,” Luykas said softer, reaching out. They embraced, holding tight. Luykas needed him to come back. He needed Mat and Zayden to come back. He didn’t know how he could survive without them. Outsiders always thought Andinna males only cared about the female they settled down with, but it was more than that. A new unit, a different type of family was created by the males, at least in a traditional family. Luykas had never known how much he would enjoy it, and it took time to get used to, but he didn’t want to lose it.
“Bring them home.”
“Aye, I promise, I will,” Bryn said in a hushed whisper.
Then he was gone, and Luykas had to keep doing his own job.
Luykas spent the day working with Alchan. He worked with the unit commanders, the nobles, even Dave and Learen, who were just as necessary as any general. He spoke to Trevan, who gave them the best insight he could about the Elvasi army, but no one expected him to know everything. Trevan had been a soldier, a grunt. He hadn’t known about the gryphon riders until the Andinna had told him. Either way, he continued to help, which put Luykas at ease. He liked having the interesting perspective of someone trained in the ways of the Elvasi army.
Night fell, and Alchan was standing in Luykas’ living room.
“Are you ready?” Luykas asked him.
“You made sure to tell Mave you were doing this, right?”
“Yeah, she knows,” Luykas confirmed. He made sure to tell a few people to give her word, including Emerian, who was becoming her shadow and her guard. He was beginning to count on that Andinna to always be at her side. Luykas smiled at the thought. Emerian had come a long way since he entered Anden, unsure of himself and those around him. Luykas was invested in the male, both being mutts of a less than acceptable bloodline.
“Then you are free to do as you need.” Alchan waved him to start, sitting at Luykas’ table with a bowl of water, a couple of glasses, and several washcloths.
Luykas performed the ritual quickly, pulling power from his blood and the land around him. It sent him flying from his body, and when he opened his eyes again, he stood in a cozy parlor.
“Oh, you’re here,” Nyria said quietly. Luykas heard a terribly sad note in her voice. He turned to see her curled up on a couch, firelight crackling over her face. She had lost weight over the winter and was only recently putting it back on. It left her cheeks hollow, and her gold eyes seemed dull. The magic she had done had terrible repercussions, and she was dealing with them. She would be dealing with them for another few months if he had to guess.
“We’ve suffered a loss, and I’m desperate,” he explained without needing to be asked. “Have you learned