“I’d imagine it’s somewhere in the hundreds.”

“Thousands, I bet,” Temra says.

We both stare in the direction of the door she exited.

“When she said she’d deal with them, you don’t think she meant…” Temra lets the words drift off.

“She’s not going to kill them.” But as soon as the words are out, I reconsider them. Would she kill them?

“Is it terrible that I kind of hope she kills them?”

“Yes!”

“You’re right. Too extreme. Maybe just maim them.”

“Temra!”

“They’re awful! I can’t wait to find out what she does to them! She’s incredible. Can you imagine the looks on those boys’ faces when she appears at their homes?”

“I don’t want to imagine being on the receiving end of her hostility.”

“Then we’d better not disappoint her,” Temra says. “What did she want from you? And how do you know her?”

“She introduced herself to me at the governor’s party. She wants me to make her a broadsword, and then she’s invited us to live with her.” I share all the details of Kymora’s offer.

“Wow,” Temra says. “That’s awfully convenient.”

“You think we should turn the offer down?”

“No. I’m honestly just a little awestruck by the woman. How does one become a warlord?”

“Are you considering it as a profession?”

“Maybe,” she says.

“Kymora was King Arund’s general over his armies. When he split Ghadra between his children, there was no longer a standing army. She employs her own private army now.” That’s all I know about her.

“For what purpose?”

“I don’t know. Because she can? To scare off any other kingdoms from thinking they can invade us now that we’re divided? I, for one, feel safer knowing Kymora is watching over Ghadra’s territories.”

Temra taps her fingers along the desk. “Can you do what she asked? Make an all-powerful weapon that can take out many opponents at once?”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

Another pause. Then Temra asks, “What do you think she will do to us if you fail?”

“I’d rather not think about it. I need to be alone for a bit. Today has been particularly rough.” I retreat back to the forge to get started on cleaning it.

“If it’s all the same to you,” Temra says to my back, “I think I’d prefer not to come in to work the day she returns. Not that I doubt your abilities or anything, but there’s no sense in both of us dying.”

“Very funny.”

Kymora did not kill Asel’s friends or maim them, but Temra says they won’t look in her direction.

“It’s not like before when they were shunning me,” she says. “Now, it’s as if they’re afraid. Like something really bad will happen if they look at me. They keep their distance, even run away if I enter the same room.”

“The warlord threatened them?” I guess.

“She must have. Oh, I wish I knew what she said!”

“If everyone is leaving you alone, then maybe we don’t have to flee the city anymore.”