Page 138 of Forged in Fading

“I’ll miss you too, Alvara.” He paused and spoke again, this time in the human tongue. “Ek lanne thoch.”

“Do I even want to know what that means?”

He shook his head and laughed softly. “Most likely not. But don’t say it to just anyone, because then we might have a problem on our hands.”

Somehow, any problem big or small seemed surmountable with him nearby. She settled herself against him once again with the book clutched against her chest and relished the peace that washed over her.

This was what they fought for tomorrow. Freedom from fear. Paving the way for all of the beautifully imperfect and messy moments that made up a life worth living.

For that, Alvara would fight until her last breath.

Chapter Forty-Eight

The soft pink and orange rays of dawn painted the water with delicate brushstrokes, nature’s stained glass that perfectly captured this moment of tranquil beauty. A reminder of her sister. Eloisa would be with her today, even when the glass shattered in the face of violence, leaving it all a distant memory.

It felt wrong to stand on these shores with her spear and shield in hand, dressed for battle. To see the multitude of ships in the harbor, the warriors from other towns who had come to fight alongside them. The land, its people, deserved so much more than the suffering that waited on their doorstep.

“I would say we could spar, but I doubt we have time for that,” Boden said behind her. He wore human clothing, as most of them would today, and his short beard helped him blend in even more than the others. He lifted the helmet he held in his hand and scowled. “Are you really going to force me to wear this?”

“Yes, and stop complaining. Most of the human warriors would kill to have one of those,” Alvara said as she tapped it with her spear. They didn’t have enough time, money, or supplies to give every human and elf all the armor they would have liked, but she had Oda convince the local armorer to craft him a helmet to go with his leather armor, since it wasn’t one of Alvara’s specialties. She would’ve preferred to cover him head to toe in chainmail, but she would have needed a few lifetimes of money to make that possible.

Boden watched her in that thoughtful way of his. “He has an entire army to worry about, Alvara. He won’t waste his breath on me.”

Maybe not, but it was necessary so she could focus on her only task: killing the king. Boden had offered more than once, but Alvara needed to do it. She wouldn’t put him or anyone else in that kind of danger, not to save herself.

“Your insistence on short hair is what’s going to get you killed.” She placed her weapon on the ground and tugged a few longer pieces of his hair over his pointed ears. “I could have Aurilena illusion⁠—”

“No,” Aurilena said as she walked past them.

Boden chuckled and wrapped his hand gently around Alvara’s wrist. Her heart almost burst out of her chest. “I will be fine. And I think she may still be upset with you.”

“And you’re sure you’re not?” Alvara whispered.

He laid her hand on his cheek and leaned into her touch. “What I’m sure of is that you’ve done more than enough in the last two weeks to convince me that you’re sorry. The powder, dressing as humans, the wall—never mind, that one I could have done without. It’s been putting off a quite atrocious smell for the last few days, and⁠—”

Alvara covered his mouth with her hand and grinned. “Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?”

Someone coughed behind them, and she dropped her arm. “Chief Frigar wants to meet with you, if you’re not too busy,” Kat said, raising her eyebrows at Boden.

He nodded and looked at Alvara. “Stay safe, please. I⁠—”

“What about me? Aren’t you worried about my safety?” Kat asked.

He sighed. “You’re able to shift into a bird and fly away whenever you’d like, Kat. I’m not terribly concerned about your ability to make it out alive.”

Kat huffed and put her hands on her hips. “I guess you make a good point, continue.”

Boden gave her a long look before speaking. “As I was saying, since I met you⁠—”

“Oh, shut it.” Alvara leapt forward, wrapped her arms around him, and laid her head on his chest. He squeezed her to him and settled his chin on top of her hair, and his beard tickled her scalp.

“In case you were wondering, it was a really lovely speech.” Boden’s chest rumbled underneath her as he spoke.

“I know.” Alvara would have made Helvati herself wait if it meant she could breathe him in for one more moment, hear his heart beat just a few more times.

But instead, Chief Frigar’s voice rang out, which only meant one thing. They broke apart, leaving her feeling so cold, even on this beautiful ela day.

“Don’t fade,” Boden said as he backed away. He pointed a finger at Kat. “You too, Kat.”