When Drought finally descended from the wall, the st samaltas were being executed by cheerful and energetic soldiers. When they spotted the general, they rushed towards him.

  - Boss, you saved us ! You got rid of the archers and then BAM ! It was all over, we trampled on them like angry dzimdads !

  The pacle smiled at them and offered a few compliments before making his way to his tent, followed by Deadly, who was supporting an uncomfortable Elry in her boots. Literally.

  - Hey, who's that ?

  The crowd had approached the figure camoufged by the cloak. Everyone was curious to know who was hidden beneath it, especially since its wings were enormous for a bodar. And their twisted shape was all the more surprising. Drought sighed and repeated the words he and Deadly had imagined.

  - They’re the person who saved us all. A Samalta prisoner who managed to escape and knock the archers off the wall during the attack. But they are badly injured and probably traumatized by the events, so I'm going to bring him back to safety. Make way, everyone !

  They started moving again, and Elry's limping, unsteady gait finally convinced the soldiers, who moved aside, clearing a path for the hooded person to the general's tent, to which he led them under the pretext of having to listen to their report.

  When everyone had left and silence returned, Drought breathed a sigh of relief. Beside him, Deadly was readjusting Elry's costume, as she tried to pry her head out of the hood to look around.

  - You realize that's not a real solution ? Anyone could walk into your tent and see her.

  - I know...

  The general was trying to check through the opening that no one was letting their eyes or ears wander.

  - But what do you want me to do ? Leave her out in the middle of enemy territory ? When she killed some to save us ?

  The pacle took out the little one who had hidden under the cloak with his mother.

  - No, definitely not. But instead of hiding her, you could try expining the situation to the soldiers.

  Drought rolled his eyes, annoyed.

  - No, but do you hear yourself, Deadly ? You think everything will go well just because it went well with you. But obviously, you're open-minded, and you feel a familiarity with this creature because you've been through a simir situation. But now, imagine for five minutes that it's not you I have to talk to, but to guys as devout as the little one !

  - Makile ? What's the problem ?

  - Seriously ? Are you really asking that question ?

  The pacle sighed and ran his hand through his fming hair. He tried to calm himself before resuming the conversation.

  - This kid is devout like no other. He grew up according to the doctrines of the Fire Empire and believes that every word the government speaks is the holy truth. If he's been told that aberrations are creatures to be killed, then you can bet he'll draw his sword as soon as he sees one. And it's the same for the vast majority of soldiers in this army. The Fire Empire is their home, their nation. It's like their father. And if your dad had spent your entire childhood telling you that aberrations were monsters that weren't meant to exist and that absolutely had to be destroyed for society to function normally, then believe me, you'd kill any of these creatures you passed on the street. Even if said creature had just saved your life. And that's precisely why I can't say anything to the troops.

  Drought caught his breath and tried once more to calm himself. Deadly had remained silent during his tirade, content to cuddle the little one. Elry, on the other hand, had escaped his vigince and was now searching the tent, sniffing out every fabric or object. Finally, the woman began to speak.

  - I can't believe you're the one saying that...

  The general raised an eyebrow.

  - What do you mean ?

  - Don't you realize the irony of the situation ?

  Deadly burst into a low ugh at the incomprehension on his interlocutor's face. A painful, unpleasant ugh.

  - You believed so firmly in what the government told you that you gave up everything you loved to come and fight in the war, even though you hate it. I suppose it was also to avoid your responsibilities as heir to the Sh'oz, but the fact remains that you don't like what you do. And when the priests of the High Court said your best friend was guilty of treason, you executed him without even listening to his st words. You feel alone, and so you rely on a martial family that only follows you because you order them.

  She took a brief moment to think, stroking the baby's cheeks.

  - Drought, I like you. But you were never a friend, just a colleague. And it was precisely because of your faith that your actions have been so destructive all these years. Even if it has earned you many compliments from the Council of Sages.

  Deadly finally sighed and smiled at the general.

  - It's weird to see you suddenly so human, but reassuring too.

  The general had listened to her without interrupting. He nodded silently, approached Elry, and watched her rummage in her bed.

  - You're right. I don't know why I was like this myself. But I don't want to be like I used to be. And she...

  He gestured vaguely at Elry.

  - What can I do... I feel like no matter what decision I make, she's doomed. And I don't know why, but it breaks my heart...

  The bck-haired woman patted his shoulder comfortingly. But in truth, she didn't know what to say to make the general feel better. So she just kept being blunt, as usual.

  - You're in a hell of a mess. And it's not like there's much you can do about it. I'd like to tell you that you should have killed her the first time you saw her, but then we'd all be dead. You can't accept her as one of us either, because otherwise the others will kill her. In short, there's nothing you can do. There's nothing anyone can do. She's doomed. So stop worrying and keep her here. She'll end up getting murdered, but probably ter than if you left her outside.

  Drought nodded again. He had no better solution. Deadly stood up, handed the cub back to its mother, then stretched out her little gray-furred legs, from the top of her thigh to the bottom of her hoof. Then she turned to him.

  - I promise, I won't tell the little one. Or the others, for that matter. But in that case, you have to promise me you'll try to protect her. We both know you won't succeed, but at least try. She seems nice, and she doesn't deserve to have her throat slit in an alleyway with her kid. He's cute.

  Then she finally left the tent, leaving the pacle alone with his questions and uncertainties. Well, almost alone, since Elry turned to face him. Drought looked her in the eyes.

  - So you understand everything we're saying, but you're still having trouble speaking ?

  The creature looked away, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. The general sighed—he had a feeling this was going to become a habit—and took the beast's chin, forcing it to look at him. Up close, it looked almost human. Its jaw was square, angur, its features drawn, and its cheekbones prominent. It was more than obvious that it was suffering from malnutrition. But what intrigued Drought most, what never failed to catch his eye, were the bck freckles that covered his skin all the way to the tip of his nose, and his rge, pupil-less turquoise eyes. Perfect, round irises, where green mingled with blue in complex, grainy patterns.

  - Elry, the pacle began, without taking his eyes off hers, listen to me. I know you can understand. The situation here is complicated. You could have saved your skin if you had left like I told you to. But instead you came back, and it's not just you you're putting in danger, it's your baby too.

  The general jerked his chin at the white ball of fur wriggling in his mother's arms, trying to catch his little hoofed feet with his chubby hands. The child, sensing his gaze, turned its big purple eyes towards the pacle. He was adorable. Too bad he wasn't human; maybe he would have had a chance of surviving in this camp. Or at least if he didn't have those two white wings fpping behind his back... He could have passed for a pacle, and Drought might even have adopted him…

  He pushed the thought from his mind. Nonsense, why would he do that for an aberration ? He had three rows of sharp teeth hidden in his mouth—that's the kind of detail that doesn't go unnoticed !

  Elry pced one of her four arms on Drought's. She looked at him with an understanding expression, jutted out her chin to indicate her son, and he couldn't help but sigh again.

  - I can't keep him.

  The creature insisted with a sharp noise. But the pacle was adamant.

  - It's not that I don't want to, Elry. But I really can't. He'll never pass for one of us.

  She grabbed the baby and held it out to Drought. But he refused to take it. So she pointed insistently at her arms.

  - Yes, I agree, at least he doesn't have your four arms. But he does have hooves and wings ! How am I supposed to expin that ? Not to mention his teeth… He should never open his mouth, never eat in front of other people, remain silent… No, I can't ask that of a child.

  Elry made a sound halfway between a whoosh and a coo. Then she sat up straight and seemed to concentrate. Deadly's distinctive accent came from her mouth, its moralizing and mocking tone fitting the aberration very poorly :

  - She'll end up getting murdered, but probably ter than if you left her outside.

  Then she handed him the boy again.

  - She seems nice, and she doesn't deserve to have her throat slit in an alley with her kid. He's cute.

  Drought stood in shock for a moment before moving.

  - Can you copy what others say ? Then you can talk !

  The creature rolled its eyes in its sockets, pressing its ears back. This apparently wasn't the answer it was expecting. She handed him the baby again, who seemed to be enjoying the back and forth, with a determined look.

  - He's cute !

  His interlocutor tried, but couldn't contain his amusement. He giggled, then finally burst into a hearty ugh that rang like bells. Shaking spasms, he held onto his crib to keep from falling. When he finally began to calm down, he accepted the baby into his arms.

  - Okay, you got me ! I can't say no to you. Not to you, nor to this adorable little thing !

  He gently hugged the child, watching him try to grab his red and gold hair.

  - By the way, what's his name ?

  Elry seemed to be thinking, but seemed undecided.

  - Ka… Kaaa…

  - Can't figure out the rest ? Then tell me if I'm getting close. Cain ? Kam'lo ? Cart'yu ? Ka'ra ?

  The pacle rattled off every name he could think of, but they were mostly noble ones he'd heard during his childhood in the capital. The mother shook her head each time; none of the surnames seemed close to the boy's.

  - Kaany ? Ca'lly ?

  Elry's ears pricked up at the st word.

  - Oh, am I getting close ? Callyon ? Kalimo ? Calixte ?

  At the st word, the aberration began to skip merrily around the tent.

  - Calixte ? Are you happy with that ?

  The creature used Drought's voice to answer him.

  - Oh, I'm getting close !

  He nodded, smiling.

  - Okay, so it's not exactly right, but it's very close. If you're okay with that, then let's call him Calixte.

  ***

  Icy felt a little better now that the infirmary was quiet and calm. It wasn't the most pleasant barracks; there wasn't much to do except listen to the groans of the wounded. And for the past few hours, more and more had been arriving. He peered through the opening that served as an entrance and watched the medics and physicians gather the soldiers in line to treat them one by one. Thousands of wounded. Hundreds of dead. And all the corpses were being taken out of the camp to a mass grave that had been dug a few hundred meters away, to the south so that the clear waters coming from the north wouldn't be polluted by the rotting flesh. With any luck, the bodies would be eaten by wild animals; that would be for the best. Only objects would be kept as a souvenir of the deceased comrades. Armor, jewelry, letters, inheritances... This was what they would give the family to help them grieve.

  No one had told him any of this. He knew it simply because of all his years in the army. He had joined when he was eight, as had most of the bodars. After all, they weren't people who could be used for anything else; they were too dangerous and unpredictable to blend in with the rest of society. So having a normal job was unthinkable. Most didn't even have the intelligence to do so.

  Today, Icy was the same age as Drought. Twenty-seven. A very long life for a bodar. Most would die before their thirtieth birthday, because they had annoyed the wrong person, or tried too hard to py with fire. But he, Icy, the one his mother had called "Cloud" because she had no idea what to call him, the only bodar who knew how to refrain from pying, was lying there in the infirmary. With half his face ripped off, and scars that would never heal. He had acquired all these injuries, not because of a game, but to fulfill a mission and help his fellow man. Who would have believed it ?

  He turned over in his bunk, wincing as his cut thigh rubbed against the sheet. He missed his family. Annoying Makile, teaching him things he didn't know to feel superior, listening to S'rinj, the one everyone called Uncle, with his wonderful stories and twisted ideas, and Deadly... Yes, he missed the pacle a lot. Still a pig-headed character, always with a way to anger, but her actions always betrayed her heart of gold. If you looked objectively at everything she'd done, you'd quickly discover that she was a kind, sensitive, and self-conscious woman who was afraid of getting close to others and depending on them. She was adorable. Icy wouldn't have said no to her if she'd said yes. Well, if she hadn't been a pacle and he wasn't a bodar.

  Drought's voice echoed from behind the tent. It was a little distant, but the wounded man listened anyway, to alleviate his boredom. He couldn't make out everything, but one thing was certain. He was showing all his anger towards the bodars who had disappeared at the ke during the attack. Icy held back a ugh.

  - What's so funny, friend ?

  A soldier, whose arm had been blown off by a rock and multiple arrows, had turned towards him. He was lying a little further back in the barracks and probably couldn't hear much over the groans of the other patients.

  - General Drought is taking his anger out on the bodars who went to soak their asses while we risked our lives.

  - Well, they deserve it !

  They both ughed, and some of the wounded who had been listening to the conversation joined them. Finally, when they had all calmed down, the man with the missing arm said :

  - Hey, but you're a bodar too ! Are you making fun of your own kind ?

  Icy didn't get upset, used to the remarks.

  - Yes, I'm making fun a little. Let's just say we're different; I can control myself somewhat, and I have enough brains to hold this conversation.

  The soldier nodded, and the others followed suit. It was true that their exchange was somewhat surprising. One of the pacles, who had been hit by an arrow in the hamstring and had been dozing until then, spoke.

  - If you want to know what they're saying, my magic carries the sound to me. I can transcribe the speech for you.

  - With great pleasure, the armless man agreed.

  The pacle brushed her curly blond hair away from her face and closed her eyes. A beautiful blue magic, a bit like pis zuli, lit up in her two small horns, barely rger than one or two phanges, aligned in the center of her forehead. Their light intensified and the woman began to speak.

  - Exempry punishment... Now, to return to what you asked me to talk about, it's a thorny question, but I'll try to answer it... Indeed, the person who saved us all during that attack by getting rid of the archers ambushed on our walls was none other than a prisoner of the samaltas who had managed to escape. They reported to me and are in critical condition. The abuse they suffered has left a deep mark on them, and for this reason, they will be treated in my tent and not in the infirmary with the others. The rank three pacle Deadly, and I, will ensure their safety and...

  - Wait, what ?

  Icy sat up suddenly, then moaned pintively as pain spread throughout his body.

  - No way… Deadly wouldn't ensure anyone's safety because she's the most unpleasant and stubborn girl I know !

  - Just like all the pacles !

  The soldiers in the tent burst out ughing and began to taunt the horned ones, while the pacles responded in equally pleasant ways. In the midst of this verbal melee, Icy felt a lump form in his throat.

  ***

  - What are our losses ?

  - We're still trying to quantify them. We're counting on about ten days' worth of food, several dozen konbs of gold worth of equipment, tents, and armor...

  - That's not what I wanted to hear first. How are our men doing ?

  The general opposite Drought grunted. A short, plump man who hadn't even been on the front lines during the battle outside the camp, and who had hidden during the assault they'd just suffered. A coward. And a greedy one at that.

  - The estimates are still very vague... We're thinking more than six hundred dead and almost a thousand seriously injured. If we have to count the slightest graze, then I'd say all three thousand four hundred men were affected. Well, almost.

  The one who had spoken, the general of one of the commands present in the area for at least three seasons, gred at the small, round man. She had several visible wounds, including one that had just been stitched up at the top of her chest, having narrowly missed her neck.

  - The infirmary is completely overwhelmed; some people go in but only come out feet first, and we've resorted to asking wounded people to carry their dead comrades to the mass grave.

  The general's voice broke, and she lowered her head to hide her wet face behind her red braids. Drought patted her back softly, and she raised her head to smile weakly at him.

  - I know you did your best, Greta. It's not your fault.

  - But almost every young one in the army had his throat cut ! Most of them didn't even have a medal or a souvenir to take home to their families. I don't know how I'm going to be able to tell them this...

  The general with the potbelly grumbled.

  - It's not your job to do this. Ask one of your men to go see them instead.

  Another man, who had remained calm until then, intervened before General Greta could lunge at the other.

  - Calm down, calm down. We're here to find a solution, not tear each other apart.

  He turned to Drought, his golden eyes fixed on the Pacle's red, elongated eyes.

  - General of the capital. You're the leader for the next actions. After what just happened, you can see we can't just stand by and do nothing, or we'll lose all our supplies and our men. So, what do you decide ?

  Drought turned to the gathering, the four people waiting for his answer. The plump man, the injured woman, the calm one, and another figure in the background, who preferred to stay back.

  - We must first discuss the problem of supplies together. We had pnned enough to st more than one season, and enough to return to the capital, which we left at Fingur Fort. It's only a day's march away, so we could go there for supplies, but that would mean giving ground to the enemy. So, as it stands, we have to make do. We have less than thirty days' worth of supplies left. We must end this war quickly and prevent it from dragging on.

  The four generals nodded. Drought sighed; this had really become a habit, and looked at the parchment unrolled on the makeshift table. Icy's drawing.

  - Fortunately, we managed to obtain this map, which is about five days old. We know that the samaltas are nomadic, so this map won't remain accurate for very long. However, it's enough to study what they pn to do.

  He pointed out two of the outposts in turn, located fairly close to the camp but in the scrubbiest regions.

  - For example, if we had studied this pn in time…

  He bit his tongue to hide his guilt, then continued.

  - We could have guessed they were pnning a lightning raid. Indeed, these two pces are filled with small, dense bushes, which grow right up to the edge of the walls. With proper camoufge, they could have taken turns approaching discreetly without arousing the guards' attention, and scaling the fortifications to fire arrows at us. When the panic started, the rest of the troops would have simply run to the main gate and entered as if invited.

  Greta swore, and the calm man tried to calm her down. It was a very well-thought-out pn, and no one would have believed the samaltas capable of it. Drought took a deep breath and then continued :

  - Until now, we have underestimated them. We hadn't even built a patrol path on the walls, and we only kept guards at the main entrance, as well as two lookouts innd, and a single patrol around the camp every hour. That's what's going to change first. Starting this afternoon, the pacles with useful magic, those who have mastered object levitation, and humans still fit enough to work will be requisitioned to build stairs on the inside of the fortifications, as well as a patrol path on the top, and other security features I'll detail in due course. Patrols will be doubled around the walls, and we'll add those from above. As for the bodars...

  The five people sighed in unison. For once, the plump little man was in agreement with the others.

  - They're useful, but what a pain...

  Drought nodded.

  - Who are you telling...

  He cleared his throat.

  - I know it won't be easy, but encourage the bodars to fly over the camp regurly and signal you if they see anything suspicious. And no swimming in the ke without your permission. You can send them out in regiments, but not the entire command. Are you all following along so far ?

  The calm man with the golden eyes nodded.

  - We can't promise anything about the birdbrains, but we'll try.

  Greta nodded. The others followed suit. Drought stretched, satisfied.

  - If we put all this in pce, we'll already have a much lesser chance of something like this happening again. I'll study the map we have and formute a strategy. I'll contact you as soon as I have any news.

  - Okay.

  The generals saluted Drought, then left the tent. Elry took the opportunity to get out from under the bed, and Calixte scrambled out from under the covers. They approached the pacle, who was sitting on a wooden chair and thoughtfully studying the map.

  Deadly also came out from behind the screen that hid the bathroom. She had spent the meeting waving to Elry from across the room, begging her not to show herself, but she had still heard the generals' words. She adjusted her scarf and approached the group as well.

  Drought mumbled, deep in thought.

  - I have to save everyone. But right now, I'm in deep water. How can I do it...

  - Ask for help, Deadly grumbled. Not from those stupid generals who know nothing but to think about themselves, but from us. That's what we exist for, boss, to have ideas.

  Elry stood on her hind legs. She'd done this a lot since joining the camp. She'd managed to make them understand that before that, it wasn't useful to her. In the wild, walking on six legs was much more useful for escaping predators.

  She leaned over Drought, royally ignoring the bck-haired pacle, and it was the general's voice that came out of her mouth.

  - Icy risked his life for this thing, I might as well take a look.

  Still puzzled by the aberration's communication abilities, Deadly couldn't help but flinch at the mention of the bodar. She wasn't mad that Elry was ignoring her—she seemed very hostile to anyone who wasn't Drought—but hearing her talk about Icy made her angry.

  The general gave the pacle a sympathetic look, then raised his head to smile at the young mother.

  - Can you read a map ? I could have compared it to the view from the sky, but your wings don't look like they could take you very high.

  Elry waved her two twisted appendages, the sound of rustling feathers filling the tent. Once again, it was the pacle's voice that came from his throat.

  - Calixte is a smart little guy.

  Drought dismissed this idea with a wave of his hand.

  - No, he doesn't even have a revolution. I'm sure he's a bright little guy, but I don't think he can help us in this situation.

  But, as if to prove him wrong, the baby approached the table and peered over. The pacle curiously took him onto his p so he could examine the map with him.

  - You see, this is our camp. Where we are. Over there, those are the big bad guys who hurt me and whom your mom punished very badly.

  The aberration chuckled softly and came to sit next to Drought, who was still concentrating on his demonstration. Deadly sighed beside them; she really felt like the fifth wheel.

  - And the bad guys, they walked a little. They came towards us and stood here, here, and here.

  Calixte began to babble, pointing to one of the spots. Seeing that the pacle didn't understand, he turned to his mother. She tilted her head to the side and cooed back. Then they began a lively discussion, filled with shouts and gestures, which resembled two animals indicating game territories. For what seemed like an eternity to Deadly, they continued their little game. She really wanted to disappear, to go bother Icy. Anything but here, it was like being invited by two friends who ended up together while she went home alone. That feeling of being the one holding the candle. But it was even worse because one of the people—Elry—made it clear that her presence wasn't wanted. Why had Drought ordered her to stay and protect them, if in the end they were stuck together like shells to a rock ?

  Finally, Elry spoke again in the general's voice.

  - Calixte is a smart little guy. You fly very well, my boy ! Oh, I'm getting closer ! It was a mistake on their part.

  Trying to put the words in order and make sense of what he had just heard, the pacle remained silent. Then he sat up suddenly.

  - Where's the mistake ? No, when did Calixte see that ? Is it still relevant ?

  Elry huffed and turned her back on him. The conversation was starting to get too complicated for her. Calixte, on the other hand, stretched out his chubby little hands to point to a spot in the forest. Then he rubbed one of the encampments on the map, as if to erase it. Drought held the sketch up in front of his eyes, looking at it as the child directed. One of the sentry camps had still been moving when Icy had spotted it; it hadn't yet reached its position. But now, everything made sense. The general hurried out of his tent, leaving a dejected Deadly behind.