answers. “As soon as I can, I’ll join you. In fact, if they will let me, I’ll join and follow you guys around for support if that’s okay. Then fight when I can.”
“I will too,” says Jericho. “You can’t leave me all alone at home.”
I nod. “We’ve got each others’ backs, okay? All four of us. We’ll all go in, and we’ll all come out.”
They agree.
Two girls passing by notice James’s sling and Jericho’s scars. One of them raises her eyebrows and the other smiles slightly. They’re both pretty.
“Where’d you get that?” one of them asks, referring to James’s sling.
He stops. “Got in a fight with a troll,” he brags. “Got the best of me, but I was too tough to bring down completely.”
“Only because he was there to drag you out,” mutters Percival, pointing to me.
“You helped,” I defend.
“Yeah. After you stalled the big brute by knifing him.”
I have nothing to say. One of the girls giggles and says, “Wow.” James gives Percival a dirty look.
“What about you?” the other girl asks Jericho.
“Just some battle scars. I’m not the best swordsman, so he nicked me a few times.”
“Did you get him?” they push.
“Well, I’m standing here now.” One of the girls giggles and the other looks at me shyly. I look away, completely uninterested.
“Come on,” Percival says, grabbing Jericho by the collar and pulling him down the street.
We get back to the barracks before it gets dark.
“Come on,” says James as we walk in the door. “You’ve got to have a little fun.”
Gunther overhears. “What happened?”
James answers before anyone else can. “These two girls were flirting with us, but Kadmus and Percival basically told us that we had to focus and leave them.”
Gunther raises an eyebrow at me. “You know, I did tell you to get a girl.”
“Yeah,” I say. “I’m not ready for one yet.”
“Fair enough,” he says. James and Jericho go back to their beds. Percival stays for another moment before retiring to bed.
“Thanks,” I tell him.
“It’s nothing,” he replies. “Just tell me if you need something, alright?”
I nod. “Will do.”
Gunther is still sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed. Curious, I question, “Will you join with me?”
“No,” he says. Before I can ask why, he reasons, “I am engaged, Kadmus. There’s a girl at home waiting for me. What a pity it would be if I never returned to her. Our own father is already a casualty, and we can’t lose all the good blacksmiths in the war.”
I acknowledge his reasons. “I understand,” I say simply.
Nathaniel, his eyes a little puffy and his cheeks flushed red, sits up on the bed next to mine. “I’ll join,” he says. Gunther makes to object, but Nathaniel continues, “If Kadmus can, then I can. Father gave his life for this cause and he told me to keep fighting and do as my heart directed. Well, right now it’s directing me to fight. So fight I will.”
I agree silently. “I will be there with you, Nathaniel.” He thanks me with a nod and lies back down.
Then I sit down on my bed and pick up my hammer to wait for Jarl Hralfar.
He doesn’t disappoint. Minutes after sundown he enters the barracks and summons everyone’s attention. “Soldiers,” he begins. “Tomorrow morning we leave Kera for Terrace to retake the city. Make sure you have everything ready to leave tonight, because we will not wait. Every second we spend here is another second Tygnar spends calling reinforcements or fortifying the walls of our city! Be sure to let those on the second floor aware. Get some sleep. Tomorrow we march.”
He walks a little ways into the room, but the eyes don’t come off of him. “Go on, then!” he says. Immediately the men begin to pack and ready themselves for bed. The room is filled with the usual quiet hubbub.
He makes his way towards me, shaking his head. I stand to talk with him.
“I’ve talked to the other soldiers,” he says. “And I’ve set apart a small number of the most elite soldiers to go with you into the tunnels.”
“Good,” I say. “And a leader as well?”
“Yes.” I sag in relief until I realize he’s talking about me.
“What?” I object. “I can’t lead! I don’t know how to lead a team of oxen let alone men!”
“You’ll learn quickly,” says the Jarl.
“I said I didn’t want to be a captain.”
“You’re not.” I make to say something else, but he cuts me off. “Don’t worry. I’ve appointed someone to help you.