her guidance and taught her lessons Mave should have had as a young child, growing up immersed in Andinna culture. She was the person who let Mave cry when her heart was bruised by a male, and stood up for her when others wouldn’t. And they loved each other. Senri loved Mave with the passion only a mother could, and Mave loved her in return with all the admiration a daughter could give a wonderful mother.
“You are.” Senri’s tone tried to convey the message Mave shouldn’t argue, but Mave tried, anyway.
“I have four husbands who are very ready to…perform,” Mave said devilishly. “Do I have to?”
“It’s in your honor, yours and the rest of the warriors of the campaign. Kian is going to find Nevyn and Varon and steal them away from Alchan for this one evening. You can have your husbands later. Tonight, there needs to be dancing, drinking, and fun. This isn’t an option.”
“I’m amazed Kian is okay with this,” Mave said, looking back at her husbands, who didn’t look like they liked Senri’s orders.
“He’s not, but he doesn’t have a choice, either.”
Mave continued to look at her husbands. “What do you think? Should we go enjoy the celebration before we lock ourselves away?”
“We’ll tolerate it,” Zayden answered, obviously annoyed with Senri’s intrusion to their plan.
“Let’s go. And while we walk,”—Mave hooked her arm with Senri’s—“you can tell me about everything I’ve missed. How has the village been?”
“Wonderful. There’s been no trouble here. Oh, here’s the best news. Sen got back with his second load of Andinna and allies from Olost.” Senri chuckled. “Kerit is fully operational now. There’s no way Shadra will take it from us, not with the thriving community there. Alchan is still trying to pick the right general for the area, but they’re doing well just on his orders so far. Sen isn’t just running Andinna here from Olost, either. He brought supplies and spread the word in Olost that Kerit is opening as a trade city once more. Everyone in the Free Cities is scrambling to begin their own businesses there.”
“I knew half of that,” Mave said, giving her mother a bored look. Sen had taken his sweet time with his first trip between Kerit and Olost, but he had come back with news and more than they could have bargained for. Much of Alchan’s wealth was still in the Free Cities and was being used to fund many of Sen’s purchases. He had to hire two other captains to support the ones the rebellion already had. “How many Andinna did he bring, though?”
“Since we opened Kerit and the ships have started returning, we’ve seen two-thousand Andinna come back to Anden,” Luykas answered from behind her. “We’ve also seen a thousand Andinna escape the Empire over the spring and make it here, with more probably to come.”
“Three thousand?” Mave’s heart skipped a beat. “That…that’s amazing.”
“You’ve been off campaigning for a long time,” Senri said with a laugh. “There are old friends, too. Everyone from our village. They’re all here now, spreading out all over Anden, between us and Leria’s community. Some are settling areas between Kerit and us, trying to keep the roads open and begin homesteads for their families and others who want something safer, away from the fighting.”
“What else?” Mave wanted to know everything she’d missed.
“Luykas is taking over as spymaster for Leshaun,” Mat said, and Mave heard a thump, looking back to see that Mat had hit Luykas in the arm. “My uncle has decided it’s time to retire fully.”
“That’s good!” Mave smiled. “He deserves time to focus on things he wants to do.” Over the winter, Leshaun had slowed down considerably, and it was hard to get time to see him anymore as he spent most of his days training novice Blackbloods in the arts of blood magic. It exhausted him, which normally meant he wasn’t up for company.
If he retires, I can see him more. That would be nice.
“He does,” Mat agreed.
Mave listened to the many changes made since she had left when the winter snow had melted, small things. No one was living in tents in the main village anymore, and a third village was established for the fighting force of the rebellion.
As they entered the village, Mave took in the new sights and smells. An entire market was now established. There was no money being exchanged, everything done off bartering or for free. Someone handed her a loaf of bread to nibble on, and another Andinna