Patricia's point of view
Dawn was breaking and with it my thoughts were becoming clearer. The crackle of dying flames had faded to an eerie silence. No birds sang, no wind stirred. Even the usual morning sounds of the keep felt muted, wrong.
Pushing down the nausea and weakness, I tried to assess the situation. From the direction of the enemy camp, no movement could be seen. They had probably retreated as far as possible from the fire and fumes. Or they had been driven to retreat by pure, primal fear. And on the faces of our people on the ramparts, only shock could be seen. Some just stared motionless at the scorched earth, while others almost unconsciously whispered prayers to the Moon Goddess.
Martha, herself pale and shaken, lowered her hand onto my shoulder.
"My lady, you should re
