Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Iryana sat by herself at one of the tables in the hall, waiting for that night’s dinner to be ready. She’d been off missions for days now, only joining in for the team’s training sessions.
There was always plenty of work to be done during the Harvest Moon, so between her training and running the perimeter of the fort until the healing muscles in her chest ached, she volunteered her time.
She couldn’t help with the grain harvest, not if she wanted to be ready to fight as soon as possible, but she worked with the groups drying meats and mushrooms, and salting venison and other game for winter.
Anything to stay busy while she waited for Karvek’s fights on the night of the quarter moon.
The heat of summer fled quickly in Istri, and the nights were already growing colder.
The hearths in the hall were lit every night now, although it wasn’t late enough in the day for that yet.
There was still daylight streaming through the windows.
Which was good, because that meant most of Karvek’s new soldiers weren’t there and she could have a bit of peace.
She felt restless. Especially after everything Karvek had given her to think about.
Then, a commotion behind her drew her gaze. Her team was back.
“You missed quite a tussle,” Vabihn chuckled. “Pack surprised the shit out of us. ‘Specially Shahn here.”
Shahn didn’t look remotely entertained as he plopped down.
The corner of Iryana’s lip tipped up.
“Only because you were bitchin’ so loud about being hungry,” Pepha teased. “I signaled they were coming!”
“I can confirm that,” Pyetar sighed as he walked past.
Iryana tracked him as he went over to some of the other captains and began talking quietly with them.
“We can’t all jump out of the trees and stab ‘em in the eye!” Vabihn argued, affronted.
“You can’t, you mean.” Pepha actually stuck her tongue out at Vabihn. “I think Iryana could manage it.”
“She probably could,” Vabihn barked.
“I think I’d like to leave the jumping onto dakii to you, Pepha.” Iryana held her hands up as if to ward off Vabihn’s… compliment?
Lidishta sat down next to Shahn, quieter than she usually was.
“We really need to focus,” Vaneshta said, trying to hide her smile. “Nothing went wrong today, but next time…”
“Yes, my Lady Sergeant,” Vabihn answered with fake humility.
Vaneshta looked like her eyes were bugging out of her head. “Say it again. I dare you.”
Despite everything, how were their spirits so high? Iryana didn’t understand. But she found hers lifting as they settled in around her at the table.
“No idea what you mean, Sergeant,” Vabihn answered with mock sweetness.
Vaneshta just rolled her eyes.
It was strange being around them, Iryana realized. Once, Hadima and her cousins had been this familiar with her. Sure, they’d been younger and joked about sillier things, but she’d been able to rely on them. It was nice having something like that again, even if it was temporary.
She just had to ignore the sinking worry that the team wouldn’t really be there for her when she needed them.
“What have you been up to, Iryana?” Mezhimar asked, sitting straight across from her.
“Enjoying your rest?” Pepha teased.
Her heart thudded at the attention, but she rolled her eyes. “You know me, lounging around.”
The others laughed, and Iryana couldn’t stop her grin. It was almost cruel how easy it could be sometimes. While other times…
In reality though, she had been keeping herself as busy as she could, and even in those quiet moments in her room, she was trying to repeat what she’d done in the forest. Forge into resistance again.
That morning she’d thought she almost had it, but then she nearly blacked out.
Part of her worried she’d imagined it, but she remembered that feeling viscerally.
When Vabihn pulled Pepha and Mezhimar into an argument about some supply line, Vaneshta scooted closer to Iryana.
“Look,” Vaneshta said softly, leaning in so no one else could hear.
“I know you have a lot going on, but you’ve earned your place here.
You don’t have to keep pushing yourself; you could—you could try avoiding Karvek, if you don’t want to help him.
It’s an option. And I need you to be careful, especially in front of the others. ”
“You don’t have to worry about me—” Iryana began automatically.
“Okay, first,” Vaneshta cut her off. “You’re wrong. I do. But more importantly right now, I have to deal with Lidishta too. And she fancies herself a badass. So please don’t encourage her.”
She wouldn’t come out and say it, but Iryana could tell that Vaneshta didn’t agree with the direction Karvek was moving the brigade in. Got a worried look on her face every time Karvek gave Iryana any attention. It was—sweet. Sort of.
“Uh,” she hesitated, glancing over to the newest member of their team.
Lidishta was watching them. She seemed different than she was before. Quieter, more serious. But when pushed, she had the same haughty arrogance that always grated on Vaneshta’s nerves. Iryana knew what Vaneshta meant, though. There was a fire in her eyes that said she’d climb herself to the top.
“I’ll try,” Iryana promised.
“Thanks.” Vaneshta squeezed her shoulder and then stood. “I’m going to have to grab food later.”
Iryana looked questioningly at Vaneshta. That was unlike her.
“Yeah, we have to detail every patrol and sighting.” She sighed. “With the way the dakii have been lately, it’s a struggle to keep up.”
Ah, that was a good move. The dakii had always been driven more by the instinct to kill than reason, but lately they grew more calculated. More strategic.
Iryana watched Vaneshta head out, exchanging respectful nods at a few of the other soldiers.
“Drink with us tonight,” Vabihn ordered Iryana, smacking the table with his hand. “I’ll bring the wife’s honeywine.”
“Fine.” Though Karvek’s words were like haunting music in the background.
But she could use a bit of a distraction. And it wasn’t like she had much to do beyond train with her forgings, at least until the fights were over.
“I’m glad you didn’t turn out like them. The guardians,” Vabihn sighed as he sank back. “I was worried there at first. They’re so uptight. So superior.”
Her stomach clenched, but Mezhimar cut in first. “We can all be thankful.”
“You know I am technically a guardian still,” she pointed out weakly, not able to stop herself.
“Eh.” Vabihn shook that idea away.
She wanted to argue, to tell him all the noble things her family had done. But she couldn’t afford to put any distance between them.
So she let it drop.
By the time the day of the fights came, Iryana was going stir crazy.
Too much time to think. She’d managed to summon one of her forgings inside a straw target, though.
Just for a moment, and just her small forged dagger, but it had happened.
It was something. With practice, who knew what she’d be able to do.
It wasn’t something she’d told anyone else about yet.
Unless she could rely on it fully, she didn’t want anyone else to either.
Iryana stepped carefully through the crowds on the platform, avoiding eye contact.
Where townhouse walls had crumbled or been ripped away, wooden platforms extended out toward the pit. Wooden ladders and walkways clung to the sides of the buildings, connecting them. Offshoots stretched down alleyways. The stands didn’t seem entirely stable to her. Just like Karvek’s control.
The makeshift stands were fuller than ever and taut with tension. People drank and fought; enjoying themselves, but there were glances between the carefully divided groups of those that had joined Myura River after Karvek was general, and those that had been here under the last general.
And then there were the King Commander’s men.
As she slipped out one of the townhouse windows serving as an entryway, Iryana nearly knocked into one of those soldiers. She muttered an apology, but he barely glanced at her, eyes scanning over the fight, the crowds, and lingering every few moments on Karvek himself.
They were watching him.
While the King Commander hadn’t seemed like he would force Karvek’s fealty, and seemed willing to work with him regardless, he would have to be stupid not to see the threat Karvek posed.
And Pyetar had mentioned that the King Commander had chosen not to do anything about Karvek so far at least, but he could always change his mind.
Iryana picked up various conversations as she walked. Anything that could help her family. With every day that was passing, she grew more desperate.
“Well, I couldn’t; I don’t leave my room at night anymore,” one younger female soldier said under her breath as Iryana walked behind her.
A group of Karvek’s newer soldiers were throwing bone dice. Most of them were in various forms of armor and undress, having been among the more enthusiastic participants of the fights.
Iryana didn’t dare shake her head where anyone could see, but the idea of fighting each other for glory was off-putting.
There was enough risk in fighting the dakii.
All the soldiers attending were required to enter the pit at least once, but the second, third, and fourth fights—those were a choice.
“This is a far better brigade than that,” one man was saying as he laughed, sweaty, blood-stained armor half-pulled off. “At least now that Karvek is in charge.”
“We are making at least double what we used to,” another said under his breath, eyebrows waggling.
Iryana frowned just slightly but didn’t slow her step.
“Are you sure you aren’t fighting again? You’re one win away from being in the final fights.”
Iryana felt her gaze slipping back to land on Voor, one of Captain Gintar’s lackeys, lounging on the end of the bench. He shrugged like he didn’t care either way, but there was hunger in his eyes and his hand rubbed at the side of his calf.