Her Graceful War Song

Carissa finally reunited with Violet, Cynthia, and Bun. Seeing their young faces again made her feel strangely distant, as if lifetimes had passed since they were last together.

They had all entered the new recruit camp and were now going through basic military training. For most new soldiers, the drills were grueling. But for them, it was a little more than light exercise.noveldrama

While the rest of the recruits collapsed onto their shared bunks at the end of the day, gasping for breath, Carissa and her friends still had the strength to go for a run. Afterward, they would lie on the sand, gazing at the stars above and speaking quietly of their plans.

Bun lay on his back with a stalk of grass between his teeth and his hands behind his head. Still puzzled, he asked, "Cari, I just don't see how we can trust a dream. We've come all this way and joined the army, but we haven't truly seen battle. Do we have to go this far, all for a dream?"

"We have to," said Violet and Cynthia at once.

Cynthia nudged him with her elbow. "Why shouldn't we go this far? It was a dream sent by a deity, Bun. If not for that, how come you and I only ever dream of petty little things like sneaking around or stealing food? We've never dreamed of anything grand like the fate of a kingdom."

"Even if nothing else comes of it, we'll still gain something from the experience. It's good to see more of the world," Violet added.

They all nodded at that, acknowledging it as true. They had spent most of their lives at Meadow Ridge and rarely ventured far from it. What did they really know of the world? Joining the army, even just to see how vast and complex things could be, was already worthwhile.

"So, the plan is to wait for Rod to earn some merit, right? But he's only in training now. How's he supposed to earn merit or become a commander or general?" Bun asked.

"No need to rush. The two kingdoms have already begun to test each other. Skirmishes have started, and before long, real fighting will break out again. When that happens, Rod's unit will go to the front. With his skill, he'll distinguish himself. Once he's promoted, he'll be able to select soldiers from the new recruit camp. That's when we'll follow him," Carissa replied calmly.

"Strange, isn't it? Out of all of us, Rod was always the worst at fighting, and now we're meant to follow him," Bun muttered.

"You sound jealous. Rod may not be the strongest, but he works harder than anyone else. If Cari chose him for this, there's a good reason. Stop doubting," Violet said.

Bun shrugged. "Fine, you're right. We'll do as Cari says."

And sure enough, within a few days, the armies of the two kingdoms clashed at Hollow Ridge. That location lay within Starhaven's borders, so for a battle to break out there meant Westhaven had seriously violated the border agreement.

No one in the new recruit camp knew the exact cause. News traveled slowly where they were, and most of what they discussed came from scraps of hearsay and their own guessing.

Still, things played out just as they had expected, with Travis and the others being sent to the front.

So, it had truly begun.

The memories Carissa carried were too faint now. She couldn't recall the exact date when the war fully broke out, or when Westhaven launched its siege She only remembered that it was likely sometime in the coming months.

All she could do was stay alert. She didn't know whether Dominic had discovered how many soldiers Westhaven had stationed, nor whether the letter she left for

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Victoria had been of any use Had the court decided to send troops to Victory Pass early?

The battle at Hollow Ridge lasted for three days. In the end, the Victory Pass troops claimed a sweeping victory, driving the enemy out entirely.

The soldiers and townsfolk alike were overjoyed. From markets to alleyways, everyone was talking about the battle and laughing over how the proud Westhaven troops had been chased away with their tails between their legs.

The excitement even reached the new recruit camp where Carissa was. There, the new soldiers were thrilled to hear that some men had earned rewards and promotion's for their bravery. It made them believe that gaining merit on the battlefield would be easy.

But that kind of thinking was dangerous.

The troops at Victory Pass had fought many battles with the Westhaven army. By right, this small win shouldn't have stirred such pride and excitement. It had not been a major battle, after all.

Someone was deliberately fanning the flames. They were trying to turn this minor victory into something greater, perhaps to make the army and the people lower their guard.

But pride in victory often led to defeat.

Thankfully, within a few days, those voices vanished. A few men were even arrested for spreading such talk-it turned out they were spies.

Carissa couldn't help but admire her grandfather again. After all these years spent guarding Victory Pass, not even the smallest shift escaped his notice.