“There are mines at the base of the northern mountains,” our commander responds. “But that would be too far. Warriors haven’t been called to battle in what, six months? The humans must have been planning and expanding their hold, while we sat idle.”

Ox takes a seat near Sethran, resting his elbows on his knees. “The king and sentinels probably saw the break in the fighting as a sign of victory.”

“Well,” Sethran replies, his tone bitter, “they were wrong. And it cost Exin his life.” He paces for a moment. “I’m going to go look for water.”

I look skyward. The moon is waxing, which works in our favor if we are to travel by night. Still, there isn’t much of the land that I can make out clearly. A dark mass that may be a forest calls in the distance. That will give us the best cover and best advantage, and we know how to fight in the trees. Part of the third year of warrior training takes place largely on Vyrinterra, in the forests controlled by the bearkings. We’d spend days in the trees, practicing avoiding detection and seeing if we could make it all the way up the mountain without being caught. If you were, you were sent back down to start over.

As Sethran goes, Ox stands back up and stretches his legs.

“Are you okay?” I ask him.

“Never better.”

“I meant are you wounded.”

“Not physically,” he says, putting his leg back down. “Exin was my cousin, you know.”

“Yeah,” I reply. “And my friend.” The Warriors’ Hall would be quieter without his laughter lighting up the place from Underbelly to roof. When it comes time to clear out his room, I’ll volunteer myself to help. It is a solemn duty, but one that warriors do themselves as an act of service to one another. “How do you feel about this mission?”

“I’m in favor.”

“Skies. You know what I mean,” I retort. “Don’t you ever give a straight answer?”

He shrugs. “Only when I want to.”

My frustration gnaws at me. There was only one answer I really wanted. “Well, are you and Rowan together?”

“Sounds like something you should ask her. Besides, I thought we agreed to focus only on the mission,” he says. “‘The mission comes first’ and all that? Was it just for show?”

“No,” I reply. “But I’m waiting for you to start acting like less of an ass all the time.”

Ox laughs. “This is me, Callen. Take it or leave it.”

“What reason do you have to act like this if it’s not about her?”

“Well, for one thing, it’s pretty entertaining.”