She lifted her hands, swiped the wet from about her eyes, and looked back to Tor.

“Well, that was expedient,” she drawled.

“We don’t have such creatures in my land,” he told her. “And I did not fancy figuring out what it would take to subdue him.”

She studied the Valerian king, and at what she saw, she said quietly, “He does not leave behind a wife and children who depend on him, Tor.”

It took him a moment before he jerked up his chin, took out a handkerchief and offered the snowy cloth to her.

She shook her head, bent double and used her tatty skirts to clear her face.

As she straightened, she saw Tor wipe the blood from his blade before scabbarded it, dropping the cloth to the cobbles and looking to her.

“Right,” he stated shortly. “Do you wish to see what a very large stash of coin looks like?”

“It’s there?” she whispered.

He nodded. “It’s there.”

She could not stop it. Suddenly it was affixed to her face.

A large smile.

Tor’s eyes flashed with humor as his lips twitched then he tipped his head toward the alley behind him.

They made haste back to the building where that troll had spent much of his time, perhaps unwittingly (though it mattered not now if it was willful or other) a conspirator in treason.

The closed door was now guarded by two of True’s soldiers, two more patrolled the alley (that she could see) and one had his bow at the ready on the roof.

She and Tor walked directly to the door.

Serena opened it and stepped inside.

There were several lanterns lit, but they didn’t do much to dispel the dim of the place.

Regardless, there were small and large trunks scattered everywhere, some of their lids opened, these exposing the contents within, and on the edge of one, Brix sat, flipping and catching a coin in one hand.

“We were remiss in not asking True if there was a reward,” he joked.

“I need no money,” Gal stated, strolling to the chest on which Brix sat, leaning against it and crossing his feet at the ankle. “I will simply gorge on the heaps of gnomish fanny that is going to be thrown at me as the Great Gnome Hero who saved the realm’s treasury.”

“Oh right, there is that,” Brix muttered.

“What’s mixed with the blood all over your face?” Gal asked her.

Apparently, she hadn’t been thorough with her skirts.

“Slobber,” Serena answered.

“Blimey,” Gal muttered, making a face.

“It appears our jobs were much more fun,” Brix remarked, then he flipped the gold coin he was tossing across the space her way.

She flashed out a hand and caught it.

Serena then looked to her crew, her boys…

Her friends.

And she burst out laughing.

The first thing she wanted to do when she entered Birchlire Castle was go direct to a bath.