“I say this not as a threat, but as a call to arms. If you decide to stay, as I dearly hope you will, you’ll be faced with a test. A dire one, and immediate. Our enemies know where we are, and they’re ready to strike. War is coming. Soon. Anyone who chooses to stay must be willing to fight. There’s no guarantee we’ll win, but if we don’t fight, we’re guaranteed to perish. So I’ll leave it to you. I’ll fight until I’m dead to defend my home and my people. With you or without you, I’ll fight. But with all the gods, old and new, as my witness, I pray it’s with you.” Her voice broke. “Because you are what I fight for. What I live for. What I would gladly die for. Every single one of you.”
A beat of silence. A breath of wind. A lone bird call in the trees. Then the sound of a thousand voices r
