The trip through the forest felt far more relaxed this time around. Rowan didn’t say anything, but I caught her glancing in my direction a few times. I couldn’t help but wonder what was stewing behind those green eyes.

  Once we’d climbed off the forest floor, the other harvester gave Rowan a nod and split off from us. We passed a number of elves as we traversed between platforms. Conversations died the moment they saw us. Groups parted to clear a path, but aside from that they all simply stared at me until we passed.

  By the fourth platform, the fact that ratio between the genders heavily favored women struck me. The answer struck me just as I cleared my throat to give voice to the question. I had no reference to gauge their ages, but they were all young. Not a single small child, nor any who appeared elderly. All young, heavily female. Almost every military aged male died with or before Flynn. I ignored the chill that came with that realization.

  When we turned onto the walkway to the seventh platform, I noted this skybridge’s unusual length at the same time the lone harvester seated at the far end rose to their feet and plucked an arrow from the quiver at their hip.

  Rowan didn’t slow her step when she raised her hand. “Relax, Aoife. He’s with us. You’ll probably be teaching him archery.”

  Aoife’s head tilted to the side. “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  By that point we were close enough I could see the sour look on the harvester’s face. “To be fair, I can shoot a bit.”

  Aoife regarded me skeptically.

  I couldn’t help but grin. “To be fair, probably nowhere near as well as anyone here, but I’ve had enough practice to not shred my arm.”

  Rowan and I came to a halt as Aoife smirked. “How far can you hit a human sized target?”

  Doubting they used the same units of distance, I glanced around and pointed to a structure that struck me as a bit over a hundred yards off. “I figure I could pick people off on that platform from here.”

  Aoife’s eyes tracked to where I was pointing and then back to me. “Not bad for a human, I suppose.”

  Rowan cleared her throat. “He’s staying here by order of the Council. You’ll have plenty of chances to flirt later.”

  Aoife straightened and gave the same fist-to-chest salute I’d seen at the keep. When I glanced back before following Rowan inside, Aoife’s eyes twinkled with mischief.

  Rowan sighed once the thick oak door had closed.

  I waited a few steps into the well-lit hall before asking, “Something wrong?”

  “Aoife is— how do I put this? Young? Yeah. Young.”

  That could mean quite a few things. “So, excitable then?”

  “You could say that. She’s competent, otherwise our Lady would not have given her blessing. She’ll fit in nicely once she’s seasoned more.” Rowan came to a halt outside of one of the doors at the far end of the hall and turned to face me. “Sam, I know no one has told you much of anything. For that, I’m sorry.”

  I shrugged. “I’ve been in the military most of my adult life. Roll with the punches is second nature.”

  The edges of her lips quirked into a subtle smirk. “That’s a very useful attitude to have around here. Be that as it may—” She sighed and pulled the knife from her boot sheath to present it to me hilt first. “I cannot stress the importance of what I’m about to tell you enough. Over the next few days, I want you to memorize the face and name of every woman and child in this building. If you see an unfamiliar face, subdue them if possible, but kill them if you cannot.”

  I generally try to play things cool, but her nonchalant delivery jackknifed in my head as I took the knife from her. “Excuse me?”

  “Despite Aoibheann’s blessing, my people are seldom blessed with child. Every mother, every child, every expectant woman in the forest resides in this building. They are the future. Without them, nothing else matters.” My eyes fell to the suddenly heavy blade in my hands. “Kill without mercy.”

  The simple phrase pulled loose one of Flynn’s memories that gave itself voice. “These things we do, that others may live.”

  Rowan solemnly nodded. “I know my people are not your own—”

  I shook my head. “You’re not imposing. Helping is the right thing to do, and I prefer to earn my way, anyway.”

  Relief filled her eyes, and she smiled. “Good. You’ll find your chambers to be fairly expansive, so you should have plenty of space to unpack. Quinn is the headmistress, but she’ll be up to her neck in managing the household right now. She’ll show you around. Any questions?”

  “How does the food situation work here?”

  “The dining area is upstairs. Meals are served thrice daily on a set schedule.”

  “Other security? Just the harvester at the front door?”

  Rowan shook her head. “Not that I’m here most of the day, but my room is right across the way. Beyond that, every woman here is skilled with both bow and blade. The eldest children are— a work in progress. We keep a limited armory on every floor by the central stair, but Quinn will have to get you a key.”

  Satisfied for the moment, I nodded and let Rowan go about her day. My quarters were, as promised, expansive. The front room was lined with bookcases, several of which were bare. The room also had a large table, a couch, and a respectable hardwood desk complete with inkwell and quill. I pondered the crystalline light sources that dotted the ceiling for a few seconds before adding that to the list of things I’d ask Quinn about. I looked at all the boxes before moving on. Most of them could’ve been stacked higher, but I couldn’t blame the militia. It’s not like they’d know how much weight any of this could hold safely.

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  Despite being much smaller, the bedroom felt cozy, not claustrophobic. I wasn’t sure what the mattress was made out of, but it certainly didn’t have springs. Thankfully, I preferred stiff mattresses so the futon-like padding wouldn’t be an issue. The deep blue sheets felt like a strange blend of silk and jersey fabric, and I was fairly certain the folded comforter I spotted atop the wardrobe was stuffed with down as well.

  I spent the next hour or two rearranging and stacking what could be stacked to reduce the clutter. After a brief debate, I shuffled Jenna’s books toward the front of the pile. Regardless of where they put her when I got her back, she’d want them and having to dig through everything else to get to them wasn’t appealing. Everything else I didn’t want curious or idle hands to touch went back into the bedroom, things like my guns, ammunition, and the drone. I went ahead and took the plate carrier CIF had written off when I got blown up back there as well, along with my load-bearing gear, both backpacks, and the rest of the tech stuff I had on hand.

  Despite not being able to read elvish, I’d taken a moment to look over the books that were already on the bookshelves when someone knocked on my door.

  When I opened it, I was greeted by a little slip of an elf holding a tray with silverware, a large metal cover, a carafe, and a crystalline glass on it. If she were human, I would’ve guessed she was twelve at best.

  “Hi! I’m Mollie,” the little elf informed me with a nervous smile. “I brought your dinner!”

  “So it seems.” I tried for a reassuring smile as I stepped out of the way. “On the desk is good.”

  Once she set the tray down, she glanced back at me. “You don’t eat little girls do you?”

  I couldn’t help but snort. “Can’t say I do. You look a bit stringy, anyway. Why do you ask?”

  Mollie managed a nervous giggle and stepped away from the desk. “Some of the moms were arguing with Miss Quinn.”

  She didn’t have to say anything more. I knew they were on less than friendly terms with the neighboring humans and I’d seen and heard enough while deployed to third world shitholes to fill in the gaps. Time to win hearts and minds. “Well, they won’t be angry or afraid once they get to know me, Mollie. Do you work in the kitchens here?”

  Mollie nodded. “Only a few days a week, though. Momma’s teachin’ me how to make cloth and sew.”

  “Oh? Going to be a seamstress when you grow up?” When she nodded enthusiastically, I knew exactly what I had to do. “Let me get something for you since you’ve been so helpful.”

  The little elf perked up to the point she stood on her toes. “Oh?”

  “Patience, little one.” Thankfully, I knew exactly where the box I needed was.

  Mollie was still wide-eyed and nigh bouncing when I came back. She completely froze when I placed two feet of paracord into her tiny hands. I’d started to think she was disappointed when she suddenly squeaked, “W-w-what is this? The threads are so tiny!”

  “It’s a special kind of rope, cord really.” I couldn’t help but grin at the wonder on her face. “Do you have any beads? If you do, I can show you how to make a bracelet.”

  She nodded rapidly, almost like she was vibrating, and then bolted toward the door. “I’ve got to go show everyone! THANKS!”

  Pretty sure she only touched the floor once before hitting the hallway. I grinned and headed over to close the door.

  My heart lurched when a familiar face met me at the door. Something has to be wrong here. Elves don’t age like this, do they?

  The elf letting herself into my quarters was certainly Quinn, but her appearance was jarring. In Flynn’s memory, Quinn was a young woman, mid-twenties— maybe early thirties, human equivalent, at the latest. The smiling woman before me had none of the luster of youth and her hair was mostly gray instead of black. By hair and skin-tone this Quinn would have been closer to someone in their eighties, except she had no wrinkles or other marks I associated with that age.

  “It seems you’ve made an impression on the girl, Samuel,” Quinn said warmly. “I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen Mollie that beside herself.”

  “She let slip that there’d been a disagreement over my stay here. I wanted to show I intended to be a good neighbor.”

  “It’ll go a long way for some of them,” she noted as she closed the door. “I’m happy to see you’re feeling better. You looked a stiff breeze away from death at the Council meeting.”

  Before I could say anything, Quinn motioned toward my desk. “Eat while it’s still warm, young one. Now that I have things sorted for the time being, you have my attention the rest of the day.”

  I moved to do as she bid, but a certain ring weighed heavy in my pocket. He had to be her husband. Why else would Rowan tell me to give it to her?

  As I sat, her eyes locked to mine. “So, Rowan told me you’d spent the night at the fortress? How did you manage to get past the wardens?”

  I couldn’t help but shrug. “Honestly, I can’t say for sure. That first night, I didn’t see anything but stone and the sky. When we went back today— well, I think you could say I was surprised.”

  “Most don’t tend to survive that particular surprise,” she noted.

  “I can see why.” A small cloud of moist air slipped out as I lifted the cover. Underneath were two dishes and several slices of bread. The plate held a few slices of meat, grilled just short of medium. I didn’t recognize the white soup though it did smell savory. “As for that, they only noticed if I made noise. Otherwise, it was like they couldn’t see me at all.”

  “Interesting.”

  I agreed with a nod as I cautiously forked some of the meat and took a bite. I didn’t identify it at first, but after a few seconds I was certain it was venison, but I had no idea how they’d taken most of the game flavor out of it. “I don’t think I’ve ever had deer that tasted like this.”

  Quinn’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Try the soup. It’s my favorite.”

  She knows. She has to. Willpower alone lent me the strength to pick up that spoon without giving away my discomfort. I knew what it was the moment my mouth closed. Potato soup, rich with garlic, onion, and savory bits of what I hoped was bacon.

  “What do you think?”

  Despite part of me feeling like I was dying inside over what I was about to tell her, I smiled anyway. “I can see why it’s your favorite. I might have to see if there’s any left for seconds.”

  Her head tilted ever so slightly while she said, “Mayhap. Though, we’ve quite a few young ones. They seem to eat more than those still with child.”

  I couldn’t help but grin at the memory that elicited. “Yeah, my mom said I ate like I had two assholes when I was growing up.”

  The tension in Quinn’s face vanished as she chuckled. “That’s a bit more direct than I’d put it, but I can’t deny the idea fits.”

  Maybe I was imagining it? “So, one of my ex-girlfriends taught me a different way to make this that’s arguably just as good. Do you think we could swap recipes?”

  Quinn sighed, her mirth evaporating before my eyes. “We can, though I think you’d be hard pressed to match my late husband’s handiwork.”

  Well shit.

  I knew my face had slipped when she cocked her head and asked, “Is something amiss?”

  My throat went dry and I glanced at that carafe for a long moment. “Well, there’s no real good time for something like this.”

  The question appeared on her face as I half stood and drew out the ring and chain, and then there was no need to ask. Her fingers trembled ever so slightly when the ring settled into her outstretched hand.

  “How?” she asked quietly.

  “I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I saw some of his memories. I saw where he was when he— he became one of them. I found the ring there.”

  “Oh.” I barely heard that single, hollow word when it escaped. Her lips didn’t tremble, but I could see the muscles in her face move ever so slightly as she looked down at the ring cupped near her breast.

  I sat there for several awkward moments, unsure of what to do. Then I noticed she’d stopped moving entirely. Not even breathing. “Miss?”