Gra’sha was still running on high when the battle came to an end. Not everyone realized how crucial her participation had been in turning the tide of the fight, but her closest comrades-in-arms had no doubt about it. Mal’gor kept glancing at her with a mixture of disbelief and approval as they worked side by side on the battlefield. She was everywhere. She assisted the wounded, then helped gather the weapons, and finally volunteered to build the barrow.

  About a dozen warriors stuck close to her, intrigued, impressed by her combat skills, and grateful that by fighting at her side, they had come out of this battle unscathed. Some of them had cemented their opinion of her after experiencing the same in the clearing where they had avenged the goblin shepherds of their clan, while about half were new companions, seeing her potential for the first time but no less intrigued.

  The girl drove her shovel into the ground and pushed her hair back from her face as Sha’dru handed her a waterskin. "They're looking at you like the chieftain's great wolves—dangerous, but impressive at the same time," she threw at her quietly, with a hint of sarcasm.

  She took a few sips before replying, "Let them look," then returned the waterskin, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and sent her an amused glance.

  She grabbed the shovel, wanting to finish the job, but first let a group of warriors pass who were apparently not interested in helping with the barrow. One of them stopped for a moment. "You definitely look better holding a shovel handle than a spear," snorted Gar’zak, who, as it turned out, was here with the fifth unit.

  Sha’dru shot him a withering look, while Gra’sha took a breath, and before she could even think of a retort, let alone say it, one of the warriors whose life had been saved by her precise spear thrust less than an hour ago simply leaped at him and sent him to the ground with a frontal kick to the chest. Almost a dozen others gathered behind him.

  They all looked down on him with menacing glares as he got up, and faced with such a united front, he lacked the spirit to even threaten them. His few companions did not stand up for the confrontation. Instead, they took him with them and hurriedly walked away in silence.

  The orc who had pacified him accepted a few friendly pats on the back from his companions and, looking thoroughly pleased with himself, nodded respectfully to the girl. Then, without waiting for any words of gratitude or praise, he returned to work, and the whole group with him. Sha’dru sent her a look that said, Didn't I tell you? To which she shrugged her shoulders in embarrassment but acknowledged the fact that she had more than just two friends here she could rely on.

  While Gra’sha and some of the warriors were conducting the earthworks, the commanders, feeling that the situation was relatively under control, sat down to talk, so they didn't notice this minor altercation. However, the debate didn't last long, and after about half an hour, it was decided what to do next. The remnants of the sixth unit were withdrawn to the stronghold. The seventh and fifth remained in the field to continue securing the northern border, awaiting new orders from the stronghold, but given the circumstances of the recent battle, they decided to stick together and move closer to Wolf Rock.

  Those returning took the spoils with them—everything that could be useful for the continued war effort. All the steel, food, and useful trinkets gathered from the defeated enemies. Wounded, battered, but alive and determined, they set off south.

  Meanwhile, the others burned the remains of their own fallen in a freshly dug collective barrow by the orchard where the battle had taken place. They left the enemy carcasses to the numerous scavengers and monsters that prowled this land at night. Then the order to march was given, to set up camp far enough away from here so that the sounds of the coming feast wouldn't reach them.

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  Commander Kor’got sent the fifth unit first, and then, right behind them, took his warriors into the field. They planned to go together to the camping spot they had chosen during the commanders' meeting.

  In the early evening, after a solid march, they were there. A wide clearing without tall grass, where they had excellent visibility of any approaching dangers. There, both units set up a joint camp. Fires were allowed, which everyone gladly took advantage of.

  There were sixteen of them in total, the last two ranks of the unit, no losses and only superficial wounds. They pitched their tents opposite each other and lit a common fire, over which Gra’sha insisted on preparing a meal for them. The lessons from the goblin matron had not gone to waste, and everyone had to admit that at least she looked like she knew what she was doing. They didn't have to wait long for a pleasant smell to start wafting around.

  When she was ladling out the stew, the companion who had so quickly defended her good name got the first bowl. Before she let go of it, she added with a slight rebuke in her voice, "I appreciate it, don't think I don't, but in wartime, even Gar’zak is needed. Let's keep it moderate, eh?"

  "Sure," he replied, but he didn't look repentant at all, adding, "He came out of it better than if you had dealt with him anyway. He should be thanking me!"

  At this, several chuckles rose from the rest of the warriors sitting by the fire, interspersed with quiet curses directed at Gar’zak. But she still wasn't letting go of the bowl, so he hastily replied, "Alright, alright. I'll keep it moderate."

  She rewarded him with a slight smile and let him take the food. It crossed her mind that this would have to suffice for now, and she didn't pursue the subject, which Sha’dru caught from her expression, because her eyes were laughing, though she refrained from commenting. So Gra'sha poured her some stew into a bowl and pressed it into her hands a little harder, signaling her to let it go. Then Mal’gor and the rest of the gathered group, and finally she intended to serve herself, but her older colleague did it for her, and she sat down with the rest to eat. Everyone was hungry, so they dealt with their portions efficiently, and after just a few minutes, hushed conversations began.

  "We didn't wait long for the first battle. I'm sure those bastards expected a different result," Mal’gor threw out from over his quickly emptied bowl.

  "After all this, we'll get new orders for sure, but they'll probably change their plans too," Sha’dru picked up. "Whatever they were until now."

  Par’gul, admonished at the beginning of the meal by Gra’sha, joined in thoughtfully, "That's for the command to figure out. We ended up with a pretty decent one."

  Most nodded; they had a good opinion of Kor’got. In the end, the battle was won, and the tactical decisions about the direction and method of the attack seemed right to them. They speculated for another quarter of an hour about how the next few days might unfold, but Gra’sha was listening with only one ear.

  She recalled specific thrusts, parries, and feints from the battle, wondering how she could have handled this or that situation even more efficiently. Lost in thought, she looked deep inside herself and felt the newly gathered spiritual energy settling slowly within her. She imagined this free part of it as a wind-torn cloud somewhere deep inside her, transforming only into a rain cloud, swelling slowly to finally pour down. Only then would the energy flow into her bones, muscles, and skin. Thickening and becoming part of herself. She still didn't fully understand the processes taking place within her. However, she was certain that after the initial period of rapid growth in her capacity, she had now entered some other phase, but she had no idea where this new stage led.

  Sha’dru pulled her from this reverie with some question she hadn't heard.

  "Yes?" she replied reflexively.

  "I asked if we were going to the tent. Is everything alright?" Sha’dru asked a little more quietly, tilting her head to the side.

  "Sure, it's been a long day," she stated, then stood up and, together with her companion, went to their assigned spot in the tent. Where she slept like a log until morning, because no one woke her for watch. There were enough volunteers from both ranks for that task.