His stomach tightened uncomfortably, and it took all his restraint not to demand she go back into the tent and rest more before trying any such thing. He knew Roar, and he knew where that would get him—exactly nowhere. But it was not long ago that she was lying limp and unconscious on a cot, with him unsure whether she would ever wake. His protective instincts told him to take her somewhere remote and far away where it would just be the two of them, and no one could harm her. Perhaps it was more than just his protective instincts that wanted the two of them alone together. But anything would be better than where he had brought her—back to the very place from which she had run, a place that was clearly in the midst of tremendous turmoil that they needed no part in, not to mention that the royal family he despised had seemingly escaped the destruction of Locke to set up here. In fact, if Roar’s information was correct, then the entire Locke family had been in Pavan before she had left for the wildlands with them.

Kiran did not know whether whatever gossip she had heard could be trusted, but she seemed certain. If she did indeed turn out to be right, that would mean that the cruel, corrupt king who had ordered the hanging of his sister when she was a mere child had again escaped any form of justice to live rich and free as the oppressor once more. It was not as though Kiran were rooting for the Stormlord. Skies, the madman had leveled an entire city, taking who knew how many innocent lives. And if the stories they had heard so far from the remnants were true, he had been destroying smaller villages in the wildlands as well, pushing nearer and nearer to Pavan. But if the universe were fair at all, the Locke family would have gone down with the city they ruled. That was a sentiment he could feel no guilt over.

“We should split into pairs or small groups,” Kiran told Roar. “At least until we get the lay of the camp, and get to know any risks and vulnerabilities.”

He was learning to choose his battles with her. For whatever reason, she was determined to return to her home. He could not talk her out of it, so the best he could do was be there with her. Hopefully with the crew’s help, she could do what she needed to do, and get out of here as fast as possible.

“Sounds fine.” She took another sip of water, her thoughts clearly elsewhere, so he let her be. Instead, he started packing up a few things he thought they might trade today to begin making inroads with the remnant community.