Chapter 5
Fires in Vasyllia
Rushing back and forth through the third reach, back and forth—it happened often enough since Otchigen’s appointment as Voyevoda, chief warrior of the armies of the Mother of Cities. But today, more than ever before, the way stretched before him, endless and tiring. It was as though the moonlit path grew longer as he walked, not shorter. Otchigen cursed loudly, imprecating himself, the Heights, his extended family.
In such moods, it was better if he remained out of doors, away from the comforts of home. It would not take much to light the char-cloth in his chest, always dry and always ready to catch at the faintest spark.
Aglaia’s expression as he misjudged the wounds on her body flashed through his memory. No, he did not dare spend even another minute away
