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Major Tenar was trying to get Lidishta to take a break, to take care of herself. When she didn’t listen, he made sure her group was always well staffed. Iryana was grateful to him for that.

It was only the twenty-third day of the Bitter Moon, and the next three weeks seemed like an eternity to hold out. For days, the sleds had been packed with supplies and set up to carry those who were too injured to walk. They’d sent a small group ahead to prepare the fallback site. They wanted to get as many people as possible away from the post before the wall fell.

“How much longer?” Lidishta asked her, the same as she had every day for the last few days.

“I don’t think we can wait more than another day,” Iryana admitted, watching Lidishta stiffen. “Those who stay behind can probably hold for another day or so.” They would give Vaneshta’s squad and the final settlement every chance they could to make it.

If one of the other posts fell before theirs, there could be dakii anywhere in the valley, and she wouldn’t leave the injured and civilians unguarded. Most of the soldiers would have to fall back as well, leaving a skeleton crew to hold the post.

“She’s too strong to die,” Lidishta whimpered.

Iryana couldn’t imagine it either. She squeezed Lidishta’s shoulder. “There’s still time.”

The sound of two long owl calls silenced everyone—the call for incoming Istrins.

“It has to be them, doesn’t it?” Lidishta demanded, her entire countenance altered. Frustration was replaced with desperate hope.

Iryana’s heart took off racing. “I don’t know who else it would be.”

Then another call, the one for incoming dakii.

Major Tenar ordered everyone into formation, trying to stop the panic.

“Shit,” Iryana muttered. She looked up at Mezhimar, perched on a platform Pyetar had built. “Mezhimar! Can you see them?”

“Nothing yet,” Mezhimar called back down.

They stood for an eternity, waiting to know what was happening. If the dakii hadn’t seen the Istrins, they didn’t want to alert them early.

“Wait—I think I can see them,” Mezhimar called, squinting harder into the trees. “But the dakii are coming in behind them. Shit, the dakii will reach them before they can get here.”

Hearing this, the head archer called for the others to prepare to fire.

“Major!” Iryana yelled to Tenar, rushing over. “We need to help.”

It was more dangerous going out into the open with all the dakii, where they didn’t have a choke point to force the creatures where they wanted them. The major hesitated.

“I’m leading my people out there. Are yours joining?” she demanded sharply.

“Fourth and Sixth team!” Major Tenar called, turning toward the formation. “You’re getting them here safely. Follow the Third.”

Her whole body quivered with adrenaline. “Be ready for us to lead them right here!”

Uncle Dinhal and Kladara were at her side in an instant, weapons formed and ready to go.

With the two teams and her clan members following, Iryana raced out of the fortifications and into the open forest. Past the areas the soldiers had kept clear of snow. Iryana ran into a few kids and a woman carrying a small child first, running as fast as they could through the snow.

Iryana pointed in the direction of the entry point. “That way!”

She directed everyone they passed, dozens and dozens of fleeing Istrins.

They kept running toward the screams and shouts and ringing metal. Finally, the battling forms of soldiers and beasts appeared through the trees.

Vaneshta and several other soldiers were fighting to keep back a large pack of dakii, but three of the armored bears fought with them against the beasts. They should have already been overwhelmed, but Vaneshta was a force to be reckoned with. She moved so fast, was so deadly, that Iryana was shocked, despite having seen her fight many times.

“We’re going to help them retreat!” Iryana ordered quickly. “Fourth, give us cover, make sure they don’t go around. Sixth, with us.”

She led her warriors and the Sixth into the fight, Lidishta right beside her.