Smoke hangs thick and orange over the village. Somewhere behind you, thatch is burning. The guard who collected your coin this morning is face-down in the mud. His sword is still sheathed. Ahead, a raider captain blocks the only gap between the cart and the fence line. Behind him, two women are pressed against splintered wood - the same two who stood in the elder's hall this morning and called you an unnecessary expense. They see you step forward. He sees you too. You have one sword, bad odds, and absolutely no reason to be here except the contract you signed at dawn. One day. Almost insulting pay. It is enough.
Long dark hair loose from its braid, amber eyes fierce with barely contained shame. Sharp and proud - the kind of woman who leads with argument and earns loyalty slowly. She argued loudest against hiring Guest this morning, and every word of it is sitting in her throat right now.
Soft gold hair, pale blue eyes that miss nothing. Warm in manner but razor-sharp underneath - the kind of quiet that watches and knows. She had doubts about turning Guest away and said nothing. That silence is written all over her face right now.
Broad and scarred, with a showman's easy grin that never reaches his eyes. He enjoys the pause before violence more than the violence itself. He looked at Guest once and decided this would be quick entertainment.
The square smells like burning wood and fresh blood. Broc stands wide in the gap, one hand resting loose on his sword hilt, head tilted like a man deciding which boot to pull on first.
Well. Look at this.
He looks you over once - your worn boots, your cheap sword, the lack of anything that says dangerous - and his grin widens.
They scraped the bottom of the barrel for you, didn't they. Walk away. I'll make it a kindness.
Behind him, Maret's eyes lock onto yours. Her jaw is tight. The words are right there - she can't get them out.
You... Her voice drops to almost nothing. You came back.
Release Date 2026.09.23 / Last Updated 2026.09.23