Page 125 of The War of Four Winters

The moment lingered until Torsten's giggle broke the spell.

"A toast," Tariq declared, rising to his feet. "To new adventures!"

Glasses raised around the table, voices joining in a chorus of agreement that rang through the hall. Looking around the table, I felt something I had rarely experienced during my years of rebellion: peace. Not the absence of conflict, for great battles still lay ahead, but a deeper quieting of the spirit that came from knowing that whatever trials awaited, we would face them together.

As the feast continued around me, I allowed myself this one perfect moment to simply exist within the warmth of connection, storing it away like a treasure against the darker days I knew would come.

I had searched my entire life for something worth fighting for, worth dying for. Looking around this table at the family we had forged from adversity, I realized I had found something far greater: something worth living for.

Ragenolongerconsumedme as it once had. Now something else burned in its place as I stood on D'thallanar's western wall, something that tasted of hope, of purpose. The sun beat against my face, drawing sweat despite the lingering chill of early spring. Before me spread what would have seemed impossible just months ago: the largest army ever assembled under a single elven banner. Not just any banner. Our banner. Blue and plum blossom, Ruith's colors merged with my own.

Thousands of tents carpeted the plains beyond the city, a vast encampment that stretched to the horizon. Cookfires dotted the landscape, thin columns of smoke rising into the cloudless sky. The wind carried the sounds of hammers striking metal as smiths repaired armor, horses nickering in temporary corrals, the low rhythmic chanting of battle mages preparing joint workings. Beneath it all, I caught the scent of wildflowers pushing through soil still cold from winter, their fragrance mingling with woodsmoke and oiled steel.

Banners of all twelve clans snapped in the wind like dragon wings. Redrocks sparred with Stonerivers in the training circles, former enemies now sharing techniques that would have been unthinkable before Ruith's reign. Redrock riders tended their mounts, preparing saddles and tack for tomorrow's march. Near the eastern edge of the camp, Katyr led the Runecleaver battle mages through spell coordination exercises, blue fire occasionally erupting from his fingertips.

Beyond the elven sections rose the distinctive round tents of the Yeutish warriors, their clan symbols rendered in leather and precious metals that caught the morning light. Somewhere out there, Ieduin was likely leading a brigade of horseback archers through exercises while Khulan boomed with laughter.

Farther east, where morning shadows still stretched long, loomed the imposing camp of the Spine tribes. Unlike the organized rows of elven tents or the circular patterns of the Yeutish, the Spine warriors had arranged their shelters in tight defensive clusters resembling the mountain formations of their homeland. The Empress of Bones had brought nearly five hundred of her fierce women warriors, their tents dark as volcanic stone and adorned with bleached animal skulls that gleamed like pale stars against the shadows.

Most remarkable of all were the quarters of freed slaves who had chosen to fight alongside us. Their tents were simpler, often repurposed from materials at hand, but arranged with the efficiency of those who understood survival. Some had been with us since Calibarra. Others were newly freed by Ruith's abolition decree, still learning to fight.

"They're ready," I said as Ruith joined me on the wall.

"As ready as they can be," he agreed, turning to face me. "Michail's forces outnumber us still, but not by the margins they once did."

I nodded, studying the assembled warriors. "Numbers aren't everything. Our people are fighting for their homes, their families, their freedom. That makes a difference on the battlefield."

"And they have better leadership," Ruith added with quiet pride. "Niro has organized the most efficient system of battlefield communication I've ever seen. The clan forces actually work together instead of competing for glory."

"Something of a miracle, that," I remarked with a smile. "Though I suspect Niro's reputation for creative punishment helped persuade the more stubborn commanders."

We fell into comfortable silence, watching the preparations unfold across the plain. Two months had passed since I'd nearly drowned in the Thallan River, since Ruith had confronted his father and ended their civil war. Two months of healing, planning, and fighting to get his policies passed in the Assembly. Now, the days had grown longer, and the nights warmer. Soon, we’d be ready to march on Homeshore.

"The boys asked to come to the wall this morning," I said. "They wanted to see the army before we leave."

I watched Ruith's expression transform at the mention of our sons, the hardened warrior-king giving way to something softer, something precious few ever witnessed. "What did you tell them?"

"That they'll see it tomorrow, when we review the troops together as a family." I turned to face him. "They need to witness this, Ruith. They need to understand what we're fighting for, what they'll inherit."

He nodded. That simple acceptance warmed something in my chest that had been frozen for too long. "You're right. They're princes of House Starfall now. This is their legacy taking shape before our eyes." Ruith turned to me, taking my hands. "I’ve been thinking about what happens after the war.”

“Oh?” I arched an eyebrow. “Making plans without me?”

“Never,” he said and kissed the end of my nose. “I’m telling you now.”

“Then tell me. How do you plan to spend the years of hard-won peace?”

He smiled. “By building schools.”

I frowned. That wasn’t the answer I was expecting. “Schools?”

Ruith nodded and glanced back out over the war camp. “This is what they’re going to remember me for,” he said. There was almost a sadness in his tone as he spoke. “I’ll be forever known as the rebel king, no matter what I do. But still… There’s a part of me that wants to be remembered for more. So I want to build schools everywhere, Elindir. Places where humans and elves can go to get an education free of charge. Every child should learn to read and write and calculate, and to learn the history and laws of the land. Ensuring that knowledge is freely available and widespread is crucial to maintaining the world we’re building for future generations.”

“I like it,” I said, leaning into him. “But the Assembly won’t. Especially the Ivygrass clan.”

He snorted. “Of course. Their first question is going to be how we’ll pay for it.”

“I suppose you have a plan for that too, do you?” I asked, looking up at him.

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