The Protector
SHERRY
The dining hall was half full by the time I came down from washing off the training dust. Late lunch. The kind of meal that happened in shifts once the morning rotations ended. Platters of roasted chicken, bread, and the usual heavy sides sat along the center table. Conversation moved in low clusters.
I took a plate and found an open space near the end. Mia was still upstairs. A few of the younger warriors nodded when I sat. Most of the older ones kept their attention on their food.
I had just started eating when a voice carried from the middle of the table.
“Convenient timing,” Brennan said.
Brennan was a mid-rank fighter, solid enough on patrols, known for talking more than he needed to once he had an audience. He leaned back in his chair, looking at the two m
