Chapter 47
Chapter Forty-Seven
When she entered the courtyard, Iryana could already hear her family inside, laughing and shouting.
Walking along the house, Iryana looked in the window.
Tonhald was holding a squealing Anara and pretending to chase after a parade of the younger cousins, dodging around those setting platters of food out on the tables.
Kladara was pointing at the floor and shouting at them, a large bowl with gravy dripping down the sides held to one hip.
Iryana laughed at the sight.
There was a lot of work to do before winter to make sure they’d survive it, their food stores at the top of that list, but for today they would celebrate. Pretend everything was okay.
When she slipped in the door, she was met by the overwhelming ruckus of her family.
“Iryana’s back!” Sanora cheered.
“She made it away from the soldiers alive!” Kladara cackled, tossing the spilled bowl onto a side table. “Now, Tonhald, you better clean this up!”
Iryana smiled and went to greet her grandmother.
“The meeting with the 18th went well?” her grandmother asked.
“Yes, everything is going according to plan,” she answered quickly. Perhaps too quickly.
“I hope we don’t regret this. Working with them.”
Iryana sobered. “We won’t. We’ll make sure of it.”
Grandmother Vesima nodded, though there was still a worried look in her eyes. Swaying their hearts wouldn’t be easy.
“We’ve received a few reports from some of the northern posts,” she told Iryana quietly. “There have been more dakii moving into their territories than usual. Strange reports about their behaviors. We should expect them here soon as well.”
“I’ll send a message to the general, see if they’ve heard anything.” Worry churned her stomach, but she tried to put it aside for the night.
“Let’s not worry the others yet. Go. Sit with your sisters.”
Iryana nodded and squeezed in next to Hadima, accepting a bowl. Misha watched with wary eyes from across the table, offering Iryana a tight smile. Iryana reassured herself that there’d be time to earn her little sister’s forgiveness, but it still made her want to shrink against the worn wood chair.
“So… how’d it go?” Hadima asked casually, but her eyes were twinkling with excitement.
“Uneventful.”
But Hadima smiled knowingly, but thankfully didn’t push further.
“You missed Misha outshooting Uncle Byorsh today,” Hadima said with pride, nodding at their youngest sister.
“Really?” Iryana looked at Misha, who was now glaring at Hadima.
“It’s not that impressive,” Misha argued, forcefully digging her spoon into her bowl. “Uncle can still barely walk.”
Iryana swallowed, steeling herself. Taking the tangle of nerves that tightened inside her at the idea of reaching out to her sister and smothering them. She wasn’t going to let fear keep her back anymore.
“Would you want to shoot with me tomorrow, Misha?” Iryana asked, heart beating wildly.
Her sister looked at her suspiciously, chewing on her bottom lip as she considered. “Yeah, okay.”
Iryana forced herself to mellow the huge smile that threatened to overtake her lips. “Can’t wait.”
Misha looked down awkwardly, focusing on her bowl. Tonhald suddenly plopped down next to her, Anara in his arms. Kladara was right behind him.
“Are you free after that?” Tonhald asked, Kladara watching her with excitement.
“Uh.” Iryana looked between them nervously. “I have an afternoon watch at the main tower, but afterwards—”
“Perfect,” Kladara declared, clapping her hands.
“We were thinking,” Tonhald started, but Hadima finished for him, “We should all hike up to the ridge.”
“Uhm,” Iryana said nervously, but they were talking too fast for her to get a word in.
“Just us kids, no adults,” Kladara added.
“We are adults, Kladara,” Tonhald pointed out dryly, holding up his daughter as proof. “I have a child, remember?”
“Fine, no one older than my ancient brother here.”
Tonhald just glared.
“We’re going to take it easy,” Hadima scolded their cousin. “Remember?”
Kladara’s face fell. “Oh, right.”
“No,” Iryana cut in, despite the nerves. “Let’s do it.”
“Good.” Kladara smiled wide, looking back at her younger siblings in triumph.
Then Iryana’s Aunt Emadya called across the room, “Toni! Come help your father upstairs.”
“I’ll be back,” he said, and put Anara right in Iryana’s lap.
“Uh,” she mumbled as she took the wriggling child into her arms.
Tonhald just walked away. Little Anara frowned at her, but she immediately grabbed Iryana’s braid.
“Ow!” She chastised the little girl who was yanking as hard as she could. But Iryana felt warm inside.
It was enough to make her forget about the dakii beyond their wall. About how behind the post was in preparing for the long winter. About how they didn’t have enough food stores to make it more than a month. They would figure it out—she would figure it out.
Hadima and Misha both laughed at her struggles to save her braid from the baby. The sound was everything.
Iryana smiled.