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The morning after the funeral they held for Eydis, Herrick had found himself at a complete loss for what to do. Hakon had barely spoken, and Maude looked like a ghost. Any triumph at their success in the Knotted Caverns was lost in Eydis’s death.

His grief had taken control as he mourned for the bright spot in his brother’s life. Eydis was a sweet woman who had made his brother happy and brought Maude out of her shell. He punished himself for not getting to her side sooner.

Herrick had seen the look of panic on Maude’s face in the caverns as she cradled Eydis and tried to spark her fire with no success.

His hand was now healed, but some of his skin was still tinged pink.

Herrick had to focus on getting his friends to the safety of a town before he tried to discuss anything with them.

Liv and Gunnar had been helpful in herding Hakon through the desolate lands of the Kingdom of Light, their sadness taking a backseat for the time being.

That first night, when Maude had taken the watch overnight, Herrick had stared at her still form until he had finally fallen asleep, his dreams plagued by the events in the Caverns.

He had felt an overwhelming need to be at her side, to help her save Eydis.

He had left Liv hanging against two of the draugr , their sickly white skin sloughing off the long dead bodies they inhabited.

When he had finally gotten Maude to focus, he had felt his galder stirring in his body. Her hand was wreathed with fire, and Herrick had not hesitated to grab those flames and force them onto Eydis’s bleeding wound.

He hadn’t felt his skin burning, the flesh beginning to bubble under the intense heat. He could only think of helping Maude. When they had raced out of the caverns, he had covered his hand in a block of ice with plans to wrap it up once they escaped.

What Herrick found outside the caverns, though, would stay with him forever.

His brother crouched over the body of the woman he loved, and the object of his affection racked with grief.

Herrick’s despair for Eydis’s loss was palpable, but he had not been nearly as close to her as Hakon and Maude.

They had stood together, watching her body disappear over the horizon in silence before leaving Ljosa behind.

When he woke the next morning, Maude had been looking at him from where she sat on top of the hill. Though she still looked ravaged by her grief, an uncertain type of peace had crept its way into her gaze. She was encased by the rising sun, the beams highlighting her tanned skin and ruby hair.

Herrick thought he had never seen anyone so divine before.

He gave her a small smile that she had returned before turning back to her watch.

Hakon had also looked more at peace that morning, for which Herrick had been grateful.

Not wanting to shatter the reprieve from his brother's grief, Herrick quietly packed up their camp to set out once more.

The next day was like the one before. Hakon and Maude were silent while they traveled to Dagsbrun.

Maude kept her pace like Herrick’s, staying close to each other much like they had in the Caverns.

Occasionally, her hand would drift toward his and brush against the back of his hand, sending sparks up his arm that lit his soul with the fire that burned in her veins.

When Maude and Gunnar had begun to set up their camp on the second night, and Hakon took the watch, Liv and Herrick offered to hunt and resupply their food stores.

“They haven’t spoken a word since we left Ljosa,” Liv said, pulling the arrow she had borrowed from Maude out of the rabbit she had just killed.

“I know,” Herrick replied, taking out the string he had woven together using his earth galder to tie around the rabbit’s legs.

He swung the dead animal over his shoulder where three others hung already and joined Liv where she had already begun tracking another.

“We have to do something,” Liv said, drawing back another arrow.

“We will. Now just isn't the right time.”

“They haven't spoken in two days.”

“Liv, you’re only pointing things out, not offering any real solutions,” Herrick said, his frustration beginning to surface.

“I’m only saying that I’m worried about them,” Liv said, turning to face Herrick and lowering her bow. “What happened to Eydis…”

Liv trailed off, unshed tears shining in her eyes.

“It was horrible,” Herrick agreed.

“It’s my fault,” Liv said, her voice sounding small.

“I told her to go first when we felt the tremors in the cave tunnel. I figured she would get outside faster than us if anything were happening. The draugr came out of the wall and separated us. She managed to fight it off and kill it, but she was swarmed by more. I tried to get to her, but one snatched me up, and Maude had to stop and help me because of my carelessness.”

“That doesn’t make it your fault, Liv,” Herrick began, but Liv continued to spill her grief .

“Once I was freed, we tried to get to her, but we were too far. The draugr she was fighting had bitten her arm when her staff had gotten stuck in the walls, and she managed to get the creature off her, but she was bleeding too quickly, and I couldn’t get to her—”

Liv’s voice cracked. Herrick quickly walked over to his friend and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight to his chest.

“It’s not your fault,” Herrick said to her. “Eydis fought bravely with the heart of a warrior; there is no doubt she is feasting with Odin as we speak. It was her time; the Allfather called her back to him on the wings of the Valkyrie.”

Liv had no reply for him; she only held tight to him and allowed her anguish to overcome her.

Herrick stroked her back and let his friend take what comfort she needed.

When Liv stopped shaking, Herrick let her go and took a step back.

Liv scrubbed her hands over her face quickly, brushing away any evidence of her breakdown, and looked to Herrick. She gave him a sad smile.

“Thank you,” she said, turning away quickly.

“Any time, my friend,” Herrick said, putting a hand on her shoulder when he caught up to her.

“Gunnar was a mess when he harvested the flowers for Eydis’s funeral,” Liv said to him, eyeing him from her periphery. “Don’t let him fool you into thinking he’s handling this any better than the rest of us.”

Herrick chuckled.

“I wasn’t fooled. That man had the biggest soft spot for Eydis; they were friends before any of us, and he’s never been one to hide his emotion,” Herrick laughed. “He said he’s too old to waste time on hiding how he felt all the time and that life was too short.”

Liv had murmured her agreement as they finished their hunt and returned to the group .

The next day finally brought Herrick and his friends to Dagsbrun. As their group passed through the gates to the town, Herrick recalled the conversation he had with Liv about what Gunnar had said to Herrick once.

Life was too short.

If Eydis’s death showed him anything, it was that Gunnar was right. He knew Maude was grieving, and he intended to give her space, but he couldn’t wait any longer to tell her how he felt about her. It was time she knew that this wasn’t just him being a scoundrel. Even if it meant she rejected him.

Maude settled into a brisk pace next to Herrick as they crossed into Dagsbrun.

The small, gray town was surrounded by a 60-foot-high stone wall with only one entrance in and out.

Being so close to the Dead Waste, Maude was sure the high walls were necessary for the town's safety, but she felt suffocated by them.

The town was laid out in a circle; the houses and buildings on the outskirts of the town center were almost as tall as the wall, while the buildings closer to the center were shorter.

It seemed odd to build the structures this way.

If the taller buildings were in the center, the vantage point would be the best for spotting intruders.

The further into the town they got, the more Maude realized each street was laid out like a ring.

The buildings looked rather new as well, the stone shining in the dying light of the day.

Maude studied the layout of the buildings when she remembered that her mother had lived there before.

She had been the reason the town burnt down and caught the attention of the Flame Soldiers.

They had probably rebuilt the city in the style of Logi’s buildings so the fire couldn’t burn the town to cinders again.

“The wealthy live in the shorter buildings closer to the center of town, so they are protected if there is trouble,” Herrick whispered to her as he noticed her studying the layout intently.

Disgust was heavy in his voice, mirroring Maude’s feelings on the topic. Their group arrived at a small inn located in the middle ring of the town, close to the gated entrance—the Gray Goblet.

How appropriate , Maude thought, as she glanced around her and saw varying tones of gray in the town.

As they entered the inn, Hakon headed straight toward the bar in the center of the first floor.

The evening crowd had already arrived, leaving table space limited.

Herrick and Gunnar gathered everyone’s packs and made their way toward the innkeeper, a burly man with a large belly who was having a hard time standing on his two feet while speaking with her friends.

Liv touched Maude’s arm to get her attention before nodding toward a table that had been recently vacated. Maude nodded and followed the tall warrior as she cut through the crowds of people, investing their hard-earned coin in the watery ale that was being served.

She snagged the table before a drunken couple could sit while Liv grabbed Hakon and the bottle of whiskey he was currently guzzling from to lead him to their table.