Page 36 of Heart of Defiance

Curiosity tickles at me. “Is that where you two met?” They haven’t mentioned any shared history outside of their military experiences.

Jostein nods and twitches his sword toward his friend. “This one was a trouble-maker from the start despite all that supposed Esterean wisdom. I got assigned to ‘guide him onto a smoother path.’”

“Which only half worked,” Iko puts in with a grin. “I’m partly incorrigible.”

There’s obvious fondness in the squad leader’s tone. “But after four years of schooling together, he grew on me.”

The warmth of their dynamic sends an odd pang through me. I have no idea what it’s like to have a friendship like that—one so close and loyal they didn’t even let their shared interest in the same woman divide them.

But maybe, by living alongside them for the past week, I’m starting to get a taste of it. The affection in Jostein’s gaze when it returns to me might be more heated, but I know it also matters to him to prepare me for the upcoming battles as well as possible.

Neither of them have been shy about showing I mean much more to them than a means of scratching an itch.

Jostein resumes his sparring stance, but before we can attempt another exercise, hoofbeats thunder over the nearest low hill. One of the sentries our commanders sent ahead gallops toward us with an urgent shout. “Captains!”

Without needing to say a word, Jostein, Iko, and I exchange a worried glance and hustle over to find out what’s happened.

The five captains now with us and a major who arrived with more troops yesterday gather to meet the sentry. As the three of us push closer, many other soldiers and civilians draw nearer. Tension hums through the air.

The sentry doesn’t even bother to dismount. As soon as he reaches the leaders of our ragtag band, he reins in his horse and starts speaking at an urgent clip. “The Darium army is almost here! They’re approaching the border now, coming through Icar.”

A chill washes over me. If they’re almost at the border, they could be on us by tomorrow.

The major frowns. “How large a force have they sent?”

The sentry draws in a breath, a tremor passing through his slim frame. “There had to be thousands of them. Three, maybe four?”

My gaze darts across the mass of figures around us. We’ve assembled a force several hundred strong, but we’ll still be overwhelmed… and all of the Darium soldiers will have had far more than a few days’ worth of training. They’ll all have proper weapons and armor.

Major Arlo glances at the captains. Technically he has the most military authority among us, but he hasn’t been lording his higher title over the other officers, recognizing that most of them have been directly involved in the rebellion for longer than he has. “If we’re going to win this, it won’t bethrough might. We’ll need Estera and Kosmel watching over us as much as Sabrelle.”

As if any of the godlen of wisdom, trickery, or war are watching out for us now. What we really need is to keep our own wits about us.

Captain Amalia lifts her head. “We have a few advantages we can make use of. Emperor Vitus has sent soldiers from abroad—few if any of them will be familiar with Velduny’s terrain. We know our country as they can’t.”

Murmurs of agreement pass through the watching crowd, but her words don’t reassure me that much. We’ve always known our country better than the Darium forces, but it hasn’t allowed us to fend them off in the past.

We have to use that knowledge in the right way. How are the hills around us or the distant mountains going to help us defeat an entire army?

“We should warn the nearest towns and villages,” one of the other captains is saying. “Most of them didn’t want to evacuate before, but if they know the threat is so close by…”

Another peers at the landscape around us. “Is there any ideal location between here and the border where we could stage an ambush?”

The wind picks up, tossing bits of dried grass and grit into the air. A woman on the other side of the gathering swipes at her eyes to clear them, and inspiration lights in my head like a flame in a lantern.

“I have an idea,” I blurt out.

The major and the five captains all turn to look at me. I expect one of them to tell me off for interrupting, but they all study me with interest… possibly even hope. Waiting for me to say more.

Pride expands through my chest alongside a burst of nerves.

I’ve proven myself—I spearheaded this rebellion. They’re willing to listen to me.

I set us on this course, and I’d better not lead us astray.

Inhaling deeply, I sort through my thoughts, making sure I’m confident in them before I speak. Maybe the gods are watching over us right now; maybe Inganne sparked the idea in my head, letting me picture the scene I could create.

Jostein’s hand rests on my back, a tacit support. Iko shoots me an encouraging smile. And farther around the crowd, I catch Landric’s gaze on me.

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