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She could only nod. “What about here?”

“People are tense. There isn’t going to be enough room, or enough food.” The First sighed. “Tempers are a bit strong right now. But you need to get warm, get some food in you, and then we’ll all talk.”

Iryana and Misha put the small bags they’d managed to carry into Hadima’s room where they’d be sleeping on the floor, then Iryana found herself in the sea of people sitting on the bare floor in the main hall of the temple with a watery bowl of porridge.

She’d found Vaneshta, Lidishta, and the rest of her old teammates congregating by one of the fires. Lidishta looked all right, though she was still moving a bit gingerly. Soyara clung to Vabihn’s side, her stomach huge, and Iryana didn’t like how tired she looked, how pale. Their daughter, Galehna, was curled up between Vabihn and Soyara, blonde ringlets a tangled mess.

She listened to them chat, but she was quiet herself, unable to accept they had reached safety. It didn’t feel real.

Her eyes drifted over the room and those making their way through the space. There were so many people, but fewer than had originally sought shelter at the Dovaki Post. It weighed on her.

Tonhald held Anara close, sitting next to Teshya, who was rapidly knitting socks and mittens. It was soothing watching her fire-forged needles move. Kladara came by and gathered up the collection of finished pieces and started handing them out to mainly earth and water-forged settlers. It took Iryana longer than it should have to notice that they barely gave any to the soldiers.

When she finished her bowl and handed it off to someone collecting them, Iryana reluctantly headed for Kladara and Teshya. They were chatting while Teshya finished a small cap. She got through the pleasantries of greeting them, offering hugs, and squeezing Anara’s cheeks. But the interactions were so draining.

“I want to make sure all the fire-imbued supplies you’re making are being distributed evenly. To the soldiers, too.”

Kladara and Teshya stared at her blankly.

“They’re soldiers, more used to rough conditions,” Teshya argued lightly.

“The civilians certainly need them more,” Kladara added.

Iryana shook her head. “We’re all in this together. Evenly. That’s an order.”

She didn’t have the energy to wait for them to agree—she circled around to tap the others she needed to meet with. She climbed the stairs with a leaden numbness.

There were so many dead they had to abandon. So many that wouldn’t get a proper burial unless they could return by spring. But she hoped that the worst was behind them. The temple and the cirque were highly defensible, although they couldn’t do anything to stop the dakii now able to flood into the Sky Valley. Now able to come up behind the other clans.

The First’s room was too cramped when the others arrived: Pyetar, Major Tenar, Rakoshya, the elder of the water village leaders, and Simota of the earth settlement.

“We’re making good progress on blocking the pass now that everyone is here,” Simota said as she slipped into the room. She was a pale, widely built woman who led an underground settlement that had been expanded from old mines.

Vesima nodded. “Good. We’ll need to rework the watches and patrols with our new arrivals.” She sounded so tired. “General, as most of the soldiers are yours, can you handle that?”

Iryana blinked, some of the fog lifting. Her grandmother was trusting something entirely to the brigade? The First caught her sideways glance and just raised a brow, as if to ask if Iryana had a problem.

“Of course, I will make sure we have a full count of the groups and talk to all the leaders tonight.” Pyetar sounded surprised too, exchanging a glance with Major Tenar.

Iryana tried to focus as they discussed the current levels of food and medical supplies, which weren’t enough, so they’d have to ration. She caught Pyetar’s worried look.

“Even with having to ration and not having quite enough space…” Iryana’s voice sounded faint, so she tried to speak louder. “This should be over after the full moon. That’s only a little over two weeks we have to hold out. This place seems perfectly able to handle that.”

The First exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Rakoshya and Simota.

“That’s what we need to talk about,” the First admitted.

Gods, Iryana didn’t want to hear. She wanted just one thing to go right.

“Limhiz’s staff diverts the earthquakes around us, but we aren’t entirely free from the effects,” Rakoshya started.

“The earthquakes have already caused a number of smaller avalanches, which are fairly common this time of year as is,” Simota explained. “We’ve done some scouting and normally this place wouldn’t be at risk unless there was an unreasonably high avalanche risk…”

“And huge, growing quakes from a gods’ war would classify as unreasonably high risk,” Iryana finished for her, squeezing the bridge of her nose.

“As is, we’re probably alright, but the more quakes and the stronger they get, the higher the chance that we all get trapped here, buried under dozens of feet of snow. We’ve already started scouting out areas that might work if we decide it’s too big a risk to stay here.”

Iryana grimaced.