The time was roughly two hours before dawn, and Elethe was wide awake. Or maybe thin awake? It was a mystery why states of awake-ness were measured by space like that. As odd as her sole student. Although it wasn’t as if Dowyr was a mystery to her after the first time she used his Emogic on him. Everything about who he was and why was all there for her to understand. She had laughed at first, given the absurdity of his character, but then she cried herself to sleep that night as the reality of his life sunk in. How did he bring himself to wake up every morning? She could hardly do it herself. And knowing what was going to happen to him soon… it had kept her up a number of nights over the last month.

  She had managed to not fall asleep during class today—a small victory to her—but right now, after tossing and turning all night, she wished she had. Colonel Aggram becoming the Headmaster and announcing the war wasn’t news to her; she had known about it since the day before, and had known about the war itself for at least two months. Another thing that hadn’t helped her sleep. Somehow its official announcement had not lessened her anxiety like she expected, but rather made it worse. That had to be from all the anxiety she was feeling from everyone else. Of all the Emogics voidstones prevented from being channeled, Empathy was not one of them. Or at least, an Empath’s ability to sense other people’s emotions wasn’t. It was constantly there whether Elethe liked it or not. And at a time like this, it was the worst of curses.

  She gave a start at her door opening, and the movement of a large person entering and striding towards her made the lightstones brighten enough for her to recognize him. Her uncle Garec, still dressed in the military uniform he wore at the announcement.

  “It’s time,” he said bluntly. “Get your things, we’re going right now.”

  That shot a spike of acid into Elethe’s stomach.

  “So soon?” she asked breathlessly, getting out of bed and trying to move quickly to put on an extra layer of clothes and grab whatever extras she could pack away in a sack.

  “There’s no better time. By tomorrow afternoon the Academy will be swarming with soldiers and there’ll be an extensive night patrol. I’ve received orders to send my troops to Fort Calhoun by next week, and I’m not waiting.”

  “But it hasn’t been three months yet, and I thought—”

  “Plans changed. Donnan’s got a cart of barrels with some gags.”

  Elethe’s mind was spinning, but she had packed all she needed and followed Garec as he marched out of her room and down the empty, dimly-lit hall. The lightstones hardly brightened from their passing. It wasn’t cold, but Elethe shivered nonetheless.

  “You’ll only need… well, no, nevermind.” She was going to say he only needed one gag, and it took her a moment to remember Dowyr could still make plenty of noise with his mouth. He just couldn’t get it to form words.

  Garec gave her a sidelong glance but marched on, his pace nearly causing her to jog. He was a little more than a head taller than her, and she resented inheriting her mother’s shortness.

  They descended the stairs from second to first floor and met up with Donnan in the student hall. Sitting beside him was a small cart that held two barrels which he watched with a grim look.

  “Everything good?” Garec whispered.

  “Aye,” Donnan grumbled. “Let’s get this over with.”

  They moved down the hall, Donnan pushing the cart slowly to make as little noise as possible. He gave Elethe a worried look as she swayed.

  “Did ye get enough sleep?” he asked softly.

  “Didn’t really get any,” Elethe sighed.

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  He grimaced. “I’m sorry, lass. Need my strength for the cart, otherwise I’d carry ye.”

  Elethe gave a weak smile. “It’s okay, I’ll live.”

  “Here,” Garec snapped. “This is the room. Elethe, my wagon is outside the stable. Get the horses ready, we’ll be right there.”

  Elethe nodded and swiftly but silently made her way out of the Academy and to the stable. No guards were around to question her, presumably Garec’s work. The stable-boys were awake and conversing quietly about the news, but were glad for the work of saddling horses to take their minds off of it. They asked no questions, and Elethe didn’t offer any reasons.

  Shortly after the horses were readied, Garec and Donnan appeared with the cart. A colorless aura emanated from Garec as he channeled Indifference towards the barrels. Each Emogic had a different color to Elethe’s eyes, but Indifference had none. Instead, it looked like a stream that made anything seen through it look gray and dead. Elethe took a step back from the Emogic, as if it was diseased. She had tried Matching it once, but Indifference tasted horribly bitter and was impossible for her to use.

  She looked to Garec as he approached. “How long are we—”

  “Until I say,” Garec said, cutting her off. “Get the horses hooked up while we load them in.”

  Elethe grimaced but led the horses to the wagon that sat just outside the stable. It was a simple thing, with room for two at the reins and the back of it covered with a canopy of white canvas. The horses fidgeted somewhat as Elethe got them hooked up to it, but she stroked their snouts and spoke softly to calm them down. She may not have been a Druid, but her father had always said she had a special way with animals. She liked to think she took after her older brother in that regard. If only he could’ve been here too. He’d have been able to think of something to say to cheer her up.

  Two dull thuds came from the back of the wagon as the barrels were loaded in. Garec climbed up to the front seat and took the reins, motioning for Elethe to get in the back with Donnan. She did so, putting her sack in first then sitting across from Donnan with a frown for the barrels that sat between them. Garec flicked the reins, and off they went, into the encroaching dawn.

  “When can we let them out?” Elethe asked softly.

  “Soon,” Donnan said, trying to be just as soft, but for him that was like trying to make a stone soft. “When we reach the Company outside the city.”

  “I wish we didn’t have to do this.”

  “Neither do I,” Garec said. “But it may be our only hope. If everything goes according to plan, we’ll all return as heroes.”

  “Aye,” Donnan said gravely. “Halberd’s stroke or no, I’ll not wait around for our enemies te come to me.”

  Elethe clasped her neck and swallowed. Zion’s Halberd had been invoked; there was no turning away, no escape from duty, not one step back. It made her wonder just how bad things were.

  “Which is why they’ll never suspect us coming,” Garec said firmly. “Kircany thinks we’re as soft as the Parastenians. They’ve had ample reason for the last decade. But I’m done with that reputation. We’ll deal them a surprise blow even if I have to battle Zion himself.”

  “I’ll pray it doesn’t come te that,” Donnan said with a short chuckle. “Couldn’t think he’d be too happy fighting someone with stubbornness te match Elysium herself.”

  Despite everything—the cold, the dark, the bumpy wagon, the war, and their destination—despite all of it, Elethe smiled. If her uncle was confident, and Donnan making light of his stubborn will, then things would be okay. Heaven was on their side, and so the war would be won, and they would be the ones who won it.

  “Try to get some rest,” Garec said. “Any sleep is better than none.”

  Elethe nodded lethargically and let her head rest back against the canvas. She closed her eyes, but sleep would not come. The jolts and bumps of the wagon were too much, and her mind was filled with the sound of clattering hooves and wheels on cobbled streets mixed with a distant chorus of crickets’ chirping. All the city was quiet otherwise.

  Time passed, and Elyssanar was left behind.

  Traces of light were just appearing on the eastern horizon as the wagon entered a small military camp a short distance off the road. Despite the hour, it was bustling with activity; men taking down tents, putting out fires, packing wagons, and readying horses.

  A soldier approached the wagon as it came to a stop and saluted with a hand to his chest. “Welcome back, Sir. We’ll be ready to deploy within the hour.”

  “Good,” Garec said, not even a trace of fatigue in his voice. He had maintained channeling the whole way. Not an overly impressive feat, as he was Class 3.1, and likely could channel at only two people for hours without needing to rest. “Our first stop is Hodsun. I want to set a pace that will get us to Fort Mordon by Sunday. Let the other officers know.”

  “Yes, Sir. We will ride with the blessing of Elysium.”

  The soldier marched off, and in the same moment Donnan climbed out of the wagon and began to help pack up camp.

  “Can we let them out now?” Elethe asked.

  “Yes, I need to talk with them,” Garec said, hopping over the front seat and standing over the barrels. With a twist of the lid handles he opened them, and two terrified young boys stared up at him.