Chapter 13 #2
The stone walls, though weatherworn, still stand proud.
The scent of fresh earth, saddle oil, and pine wraps around me as we approach the outpost. Beyond the gates, I catch the bustle of soldiers lining the courtyard, armor glinting in the fading light, weapons strapped but peace lingering in their stance.
The sound of hooves on gravel alerts the guards. A shout hits the air, and the portcullis begins to rise.
“You sent word?” Uncle Kormak asks.
“Yes. They’ve been expecting us,” I respond.
He nods stiffly beside me, his cloak pulled tight around his shoulders. The ride has taken its toll, but he’s masked it well. That same steady look of command hasn’t left his face since we crossed into Delasurvian territory. His soldiers will see a general, not a ghost dragged back from the brink.
As we ride into the courtyard, the shift in energy is instant.
There’s a heartbeat of stunned silence, and then the cheers rise.
“General Kormak!”
“Commander!”
The shouts echo through the Garrison like a bell. Helmets are lifted, fists slapped against chests in salute. The noise surges like a tide, and I glance at my uncle just in time to see the flicker of emotion cross his face—something between pride and disbelief.
Aila pushes through the crowd first, her dark, chin-length hair swaying behind her. Isaac isn’t far behind, nearly tripping over a coil of rope someone abandoned in their excitement. Giorgi appears at the edge of the group, nodding, and Lorne trails after them all, quieter but smiling.
“General, you old beast,” Isaac calls, his grin stretching wide. “We knew you’d pull through.”
Mylo dismounts first, boots thudding against the dirt. “Of course he did. He’s got the strength of a lion.”
“Looks like he’s got the hair of one too, now,” Giorgi says, chuckling. “Let me know if I should have Matilda fetch her shears.”
“All in good time.” Kormak swings down from his horse with a grunt, his landing just a pinch less solid than it used to be.
But the soldiers don’t see it. They’re too busy cheering, clapping each other on the backs, some even stepping forward for a handshake or a bowed head of welcome.
He accepts it all without fanfare, giving nods and brief murmurs in return, but I can tell it’s wearing on him already.
I maneuver to the ground but stay near Thora a moment longer, watching the scene unfold, watching the light in my people’s eyes. They needed this. Needed to know he was still standing. That Delasurvia hasn’t lost everything.
Soldiers and servants alike approach me to welcome me back home, and although I extend my thanks to them, my gaze keeps darting back to my uncle. A weight has lifted from my shoulders seeing him here, in his element.
As if feeling my relief, Uncle Kormak turns my way with the hint of a smile. “Thank you.”
His voice in my mind causes grateful tears to well in my eyes. I give him a nod and turn to hand Thora’s reins to one of the stablehands who appears at my side.
Sir Holden dismounts beside me and says nothing, but as always, I feel the weight of his gaze as he does a quick sweep of the yard, ever vigilant.
Aila reaches me next, clapping me on the back. “Commander,” she says with mock sternness. “Sticking around?”
“For a while, at least,” I reply.
“It’s good to see you back home.”
“Yeah, it’s good to be back.” The words come with a strange ache.
She must see it. “What’s going on?”
I gesture toward the keep. “Walk with me?”
She nods. “Lead the way.”
As we cross the yard, I catch Lorne speaking with my uncle, and Giorgi muttering something to Mylo that makes them both laugh.
The sky above is streaked with the softest pinks and dusky violets, the first star flickering just above the tower spires.
The breeze carries the air from the sea; it smells like seaweed and forthcoming rain.
I hadn’t realized how much I missed the scent.
Aila and I step into the Garrison, the stone corridors of the army barracks cool and familiar. Boots echo against the flagstones as we make our way to the war room, the iron handle strong and cold beneath my palm as I open the door.
Inside, the long table remains exactly how I remember it: maps stacked neatly, the large one of Terre Ferique spread across the center like a battlefield waiting to be fought.
I close the door behind us and turn to face her. “I wanted to speak to you alone.”
Aila straightens a little. “You’ve got that look.”
“What look?”
“The one that says you’re about to throw something heavy in my lap and expect me not to blink.”
I exhale, almost smiling. “Is there any other way?”
She leans on the table with both hands, bracing. “All right. Hit me.”
I take a deep breath. I find it hard to say the words because I know, once it’s official, I will feel like a part of me is missing. So I decide to broach another subject first. “Any word from the scouts sent up to Dulcamar?”
“They’ve returned with no intel,” she tells me. “The fortress is almost impossible to approach. Giorgi says there may be a way in through the underground river that comes in from the Batu Basah Ocean, but that tunnel is ridden with deadly nightshade, so we’re unsure it’s our best course.”
“Giorgi knows best about these things.”
“We still have one troop out,” she adds. “I can send word as soon as they return.”
I nod, steeling myself for what I need to tell her.
“And regarding the carnoraxis attacks,” she adds, “they’ve already crossed the borders. One attack has gone as far as the border between Hedera and Podrosa.”
“Thanks, but you can pass on all this information directly to Mylo.”
Her brows dip down. “Commander?”
I tap the table, releasing a long exhale before I continue. “I’m not stepping down. But King Silas is insisting I take a… hiatus. He wants me focused on court appearances. The legitimization tour.”
Aila frowns. “He’s pulling you out of field work?”
“He already has,” I say, quieter. “I’m not permitted to meet up with the squad anymore. Not unless it’s a royal-approved engagement. He made an exception for my uncle’s return, and to do this handover in person.”
Her expression darkens. “You’re the commander. You’re our best.”
“And you’ll still have me. Just not right now.
You have to understand, I’m doing this for the good of Delasurvia.
” I walk to the map, fingers brushing the edge of the parchment.
“I didn’t want to leave without ensuring the regiment is still in good hands.
That the work continues. The camps are still operating, even if quietly.
The villages still need protection. I’m naming Mylo interim commander.
I’ve already spoken with him, so he knows what to expect.
But he needs someone by his side to pick up the pieces he might miss. A good second.”
Aila blinks. “Me?”
“Don’t act so surprised,” I say with a laugh. “You’ll make an excellent lieutenant. You know the squads, the terrain, the rhythm of the field. Hell, you’re more updated on the current status of things than I am at the moment. You’re ready. You’ve been ready.”
For a long moment, she doesn’t speak. Then she softly says, “You trust me with this?”
“With everything.”
She nods once, the corners of her eyes shining just slightly in the torchlight. “Then I won’t let you down.”
“I know.” I give her a wink. “That’s why I chose you.”
The ever-present tension in my chest eases a bit.
Because even if I can’t be here… I know my people are still being protected.
By two of our own. Two of my very best.
“Isaac and Giorgi are going to be pissed you chose me above them,” she jokes.
“No, they won’t. They know how good you are.”
As Aila and I step out of the war room together, the sounds of soldiers engaged in discussions fill my ears. Exhaustion is pulling me down, but if I can get this announcement out in the open, it will one less thing I need to deal with before I’m ready to pass out in my old room.
Aila moves ahead of me without hesitation, climbing up on a table and placing her thumb and finger in her mouth to create a loud whistle. As the din of the crowd fades, she holds a hand out to me. I take it and jump onto the table beside her.
“Listen up,” I call out, my voice ringing across the courtyard with a clarity that silences every clang of metal and murmur of conversation.
“It’s truly great to be back in your presence and to see that you’re all holding up the integrity of Delasurvia.
I’m sure you’re all curious as to how things will be moving forward, given the circumstances.
” There’s no need for me to get into the theories of Torbin’s survival; Aila’s been keeping the regiment informed in my stead.
“In order to keep Delasurvia safe, especially under King Silas’s watchful eye, I must take a temporary hiatus of my duties as commander. ”
Boots shuffle, and heads turn as murmurs fill the room.
“I would never abandon you without knowing you’re in proper, skilled hands, so I am grateful to be able to inform you that Mylo Yaroslav has been appointed as your interim commander during my absence, and Aila Chen will serve as the new lieutenant. I know you will be well led under their care.”
Mylo jumps up on the table, making the entire thing shake. “That means if I give an order, you follow it. If I say jump, you ask how high.”
“And if anyone has an issue with this arrangement,” Aila adds, “then I suggest you take it up with the sharp end of my dagger. I’m sure it’ll be happy to hear your complaints.”
Laughter breaks through the air like a snapped arrow string. Isaac raises his mug in a mock toast while Giorgi gives a dramatic, sweeping bow. Even Lorne cracks a crooked grin, clapping his hands in congratulations.
I fight the knot forming in my throat. It feels like the last time I’ll stand on this side of the command, but I remind myself it isn’t permanent.