been so ignorant. She leaned forward and kissed the golden snout.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry for everything.”
I am not, said the Dragon. I am glad you came for me.
Then the dragon stretched its wings, pushed off, and disappeared over the Mountains.
The enormity of everything that was happening had begun to sink in. There were seventeen years of knights and soldiers gathered at the foot of the Mountain; they were kings and aristocrats, mercenaries and tradespeople. They were from every corner of the country, from every city and province. The best and bravest. The reckless, the expert, the ambitious.
And now, thanks to the Dragon, they were hers.
Ren looked at Queen Dagmara, who was shielding her eyes to watch the ascent of the Dragon. So she had been afraid, thought Ren. Overly cautious. Maybe she had spent too long thinking and planning, not enough time fighting. But in a way, Ren understood. Queen Dagmara did not come from the same world as Ren; she hadn’t grown up fighting for her life, constantly proving herself to her subjects.
And all the same, she had made this possible. Queen Dagmara had built this army.
The queen glanced back and met Ren’s eyes. Feline and beautiful, the queen gave her the smallest of smiles. Ren smiled back. The king looked between his daughter and his wife, brow furrowed.
At that moment, there was a tremendous commotion in the middle of the valley. The knights began hopping, as if they were jumping out of the way. There was a general chorus of ouches and oomphs, and then the crowd parted.
“Oh God,” said one of the Wolf-Lords. Ren couldn’t tell them apart. “Not him again—?”
A very knobbly and very familiar creature appeared. He strode between the parted knights, jovially swinging his club, arm in arm with the lovely Leszachka. Eighty-six tiny Leshonki filed after them, leaving many of the knights rubbing their shins.
The Leszy and Leszachka strode straight to the feet of Queen Dagmara. Ren watched, hypnotized, as the queen leaned down and pressed her shining red lips first to the Leszy’s cheek, and then to that of his wife.
The Leszy giggled. Then he turned to Ren.
“You . . . ,” she said.
The Leszy heaved a huge sigh. He rolled his eyes. He crossed his arms. He sighed again. And then, looking supremely put out, he got down on one knee.
“Irena, queen of the forest. To you I pledge my undying loyalty. Your forest shall always be safe for animals. Your roads shall always carry honorable humans. Your children shall always be blessed, as you have been blessed, and above all other mortals, your family shall always be treated with respect and reverence.” He rolled his eyes again. “As guardian of the forest, I promise that I shall also guard its queen”—here, his speech was somewhat ruined by the dirty look he shot in the direction of the Wolf-Lords—“and your friends.”
Ren couldn’t help it. He looked so pitiful, so grudging.
“Leszy.” She spread her arms. “I was going to thank you.”
He looked at her like she’d grown an extra head.
“You saved my life,” she added, sinking to her knees, and hugged the furry little creature. His knobbly hands danced over their heads and his cap fell off.
“Hey, stop that!”
“You were trying to save our forest,” whispered Ren. “I understand.”
She kissed his cheek. The Leszy blushed a stunning shade of scarlet.
Ren released him, and he scampered back to his family, where his children were flexing tiny muscles and swinging tiny clubs. With expressions of complete terror, the knights backed out of the way of the fierce little Leshonki, and Ren wondered how many of them had dined at his table.
“Didn’t think we’d see him again.”
Ren turned. Lukasz was walking toward her. He was smiling, even if it was a little weak. His hair was drying, sticking up all over the place, but as he drew closer, he tugged his battered army cap back down over it. His eyes were dry.
Ren wanted to throw her arms around him. Tell him it would be all right. They were going to win. They were going to avenge their brothers. The war wasn’t over.
Lukasz held out the glass sword. It must have fallen among the knights, at the bottom of the Mountain.
“You should keep this,” he said. “You found it.”
“Thank you,” said Ren, awkwardly aware that they were being watched by most of the kingdom. Then she added: “I suppose we’ll need it. I’m sure there are strzygi left in the forest.”
“Oh good,” he said.