Another bladesinger stood in front of Miro, with his back to him. He was a tall man — as tall as Miro himself — and lean, with grey in his dark hair, yet he wore his armoursilk like it truly belonged on his form.

Soldiers in brown ran up to the bladesinger, the man responding with curt orders. Then the bladesinger turned, and as Miro saw the man's face in profile, the ugly scars and weathered features, and noticed the raj hada across his breast, Miro began to smile.

"So they made you a marshal?" he called above the explosions and shouts of a battle still in its last throes. The bladesinger turned in surprise when Miro called out. The two tall men in green faced each other. Miro knew this was the man who'd made him who he was today.

"I always knew you couldn't follow orders," Rogan Jarvish said, in the same voice he'd once used to berate Miro at the Pens in Sarostar. "Lord Marshal, eh?"

"Something like that," Miro said, grinning. "We all thought you were dead. Lord of the Sky, I could have used your help." He looked around at the blood-splattered Halrana. "But it looks like you found some people who could use it more."

Rogan stepped forward and he and Miro embraced, Miro's old teacher evidently embarrassed when a cheer erupted from the soldiers around them.

"Ah, there he is. High Lord Tiesto Telmarran," Rogan said when they separated, "this is Lord Marshal Miro Torresante, my best student."

"I had a good teacher." Miro smiled. "It's an honour, High Lord."

"Thank you, Lord Marshal," Tiesto said. "I still have not been named High Lord…"

"But you've earned it," Rogan growled. "Don't be a fool, man. After today, there isn't a man here who won't follow you to the ends of the empire."

"Which is where we'll likely end up," Miro said. He shook his head. "Please, don't thank me, High Lord. Half of my men didn't even participate. The uprising has been well-planned and bravely fought."

"There's still more to be done," Tiesto said. "I must go." He turned to Rogan. "Marshal Rogan, I've sent five hundred men to the prison camp. Amelia will be fine."

Tiesto departed, and with his final words Miro felt a terrible squeezing feeling in his chest. "I've heard about the camp. Where is it? I'm leaving to…"

"Miro," Rogan said, "we've freed the camp. It's done. A woman there helped us."

Miro opened his mouth, and suddenly the act of asking about her was the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life.

"The prisoners…?"

"It was a dark time for them. Many were taken away, murdered to feed some evil magic of the Primate's. We were able to free thousands of them. That's all I can say."

"There was a young woman," Miro said. "I don't know if she was with them, or even if she was taken prisoner. I lost her, at the Bridge of Sutanesta."