Roderick

Burying Decklan felt like opening a wound he didn't know he had. All the pain that lurked just behind his thoughts poured out like a poorly maintained sewer line. He felt sick, he broke into sweat despite the cold, and he might have wandered out into the field aimlessly if Candice hadn't lead him back to the medical car.

Candice sat with him for what felt like hours. Even as Miss Eridwen's crew worked around them; transforming the car one set of sterilized tools or rearranged piece of furniture at a time, she sat with him and stared out at the window, seeing absolutely nothing. No words spoken, no affections exchanged, just a firm grip on his hand as the City marched along without him.

It meant everything to Roderick. Candice, taking this moment to stay with him, despite all of them having something more important to do, had given him a gift that eventually left him light on his feet and eager to move. Not that anything he felt hurt less, more that he was better prepared to feel it. And endure.

"I have to think differently about you, now," Candice said, as Roderick belted on his sword again. His sword, along with the heavy belt, Salamander, and his scarf, were resting in a nearby corner. He hadn't been willing to wear that gear, the equipment of a soldier and a mark of the Army's elite, until he was ready to be seen again.

"Why is that?" Roderick asked.

"You used to be safe." Candice rested her head on his shoulder as she spoke, so he couldn't see her expression. "Just two days ago, I liked you well enough, but there was no way you could be anything other than an idle fling."

"Hey, don't wound me," Roderick protested, but weakly. He made no move to push her off his shoulder. "The Gloamtaken do enough of that."

"Oh, it's not your fault. It's the rarified air I live in. My parents expect me to be someone who can maintain the family's place in High Central. Be someone, and marry someone who won't hurt my chances. A delinquent in a remedial work-camp definitely didn't fit the bill, so even yesterday you were safe. I didn't have to worry about taking you seriously, or even taking myself seriously when I was with you. I didn't have to worry about you in my future, because there was nothing between us that would have survived our time at camp."

"Unless I had knocked you up," Roderick said. Candice wasn't wrong about her assessment. Knowing her had been a lot of fun in earlier days, but part of the appeal was they didn't expect anything of each other. Because they couldn't.

"True. But even then, I doubt that would have been enough. Besides, Gwen once said part of the point of these work camps was to help keep the population up," Candice said, as she nestled in a little closer. "But things have changed."

"Not really sure being a private in the army changes things," Roderick said.

"That isn't when things changed. For me, it was the moment you stepped between the rest of us and the Gloamtaken, even though you didn't even have a knife."

"That was pretty stupid," Roderick agreed. "And if I'm being honest, it wasn't about doing it for you. Not you specifically, it could have been anyone behind me. I just couldn't think of doing anything else."

"I know. And the fact that it didn't have to be me makes it matter even more. Even if it was just that, I'd be thinking about trying to keep you despite whatever my parents wold say. But what makes you dangerous is the fact that you joined up."

"I don't think a private in the army is going to impress them much," Roderick noted.

"If you were just a private, sure. But you're also the youngest living member of the Cadavalan Rangers. Your lieutenant earned a sobriquet from Captain Dremora himself. Your sergeant is Valen burning Redgrave. Even if you laid down in barracks and slept through the rest of this invasion, there's a chance your likeness will be on the Fifth Tapestry. As far as my parents will be concerned, you're a catch."

"Well," Roderick whistled, and he felt like he was going to fall over. Like the stone beneath his feet was being hit by a Golem's fists. "You're serious."

"I am. You're a dangerous man now, Roderick Gwalior of the Cadavalan Rangers. I have to take you seriously."

"You too," Roderick said. "Seeing you step off that train, in your uniform, it was incredible. I don't think I've ever seen you before, compared to that moment. I, I don't really know how to describe it."

"Don't worry, I get it," Candice said. She sighed, and pulled her head up from his shoulder. "And I think that's about all the time we're going to get for now."

Roderick looked up, following Candice's gaze. Down the way, near the watchtower, Valen had just stepped out of one of the doors. With him was a woman in a red coat, and while the two of them looked to be talking amiably, Valen nodded when their eyes met, and he was walking straight towards them.

"Sir, are we being deployed somewhere?" Roderick asked as Valen approached. It was hard to tell how bad the situation was with Valen. His sergeant didn't look like he was hurrying, but Valen looked like he was focusing on what he was doing, no matter what it was.

"This is our deployment. We're here until we drop the Golem coming for us," Valen said. Roderick grinned, hearing that. No equivocation, no suggestion of any other outcome, Redgrave made it sound like they were just waiting for the sun to set. Surprisingly, the sergeant then turned to Candice. "Do you know where Miss Eridwen is? I'd like to speak to her, and the security crew she cobbled together."

"Of course, sir," Candice said. Like nearly everyone else on this wall, even those who didn't have to, she stood up straighter around Sergeant Redgrave. "She's on the other side of the watchtower, swapping supplies with the army quartermaster. She told me we'd leave in about half an hour."

"Plenty of time, then," Valen said. "Would you lead us to her, Candice?"

"Sir," she said, and turned to lead them.

Back through the watchtower, where busy soldiers still noticed and gave them extra room as they passed. A few even stopped to nod respectfully, most of it directed at the red-coated woman with them. Roderick stepped ahead to get the door, and nearly bumped into someone he recognized.

"Roderick," Ignio Demos said, and pushed the door open wider for them. His eyes widened when he saw who was following them, and despite the end of the door being pressed against the wall, tried to push it open further. "Madam Crafter."

"Private Ignio Demos? Fourth Army?" Valen asked. "Currently the head of Miss Eridwen's security detail?"

Ignio blinked. The man clearly wasn't expecting to be addressed by name by anyone other than Candice or Roderick.

And Roderick was fairly certain Ignio knew who Valen was. "Yes, sir."

"How did you land that job?"

"We were rescued at a causeway near one of the contact points, where a Crafter team fought one of the Golems," Ignio explained. "We lost our sergeant, she inhaled the Gloam. And my corporal never recovered from seeing those Crafters fall. Miss Eridwen just pointed at me five minutes after we got picked up and put me in charge."

"And you've been with her ever since? That's a hard assignment, and it seems like you did it well."

"I don't know about that, sir," Ignio insisted.

"I'm fairly confident if you weren't up to Miss Eridwen's standards, she'd have thrown you off the train. I'm not sure if she'd have stopped the train first," Valen said, with all the confidence of someone talking about the Gloam still lurking beyond the walls. "Would you gather up your security detail? I have a couple of things to ask."

"Sir," Ignio said, before he turned and jogged down the wall.

"What are you thinking, Valen?" The Crafter asked, as Candice started to lead them again.

"Ignio and his people were thrown together by circumstance, and had heavy demands placed on their shoulders that they weren't prepared for. They proved equal to it."

"Their story strikes close to the heart?"

"Near and dear," Valen said. He shrugged and pointed ahead, as Candice began to pick up her pace. "Captain Dremora set the example for how to reward such things."

It was only a few more seconds to reach Miss Eridwen, who as even Roderick expected was at the very centre of activity. Like the Spire in the heart of the City, everything in the crowd revolved around her, and was directed by her hand.

"No, the bellows and the clamps come with us. I burning told you, assume that whatever medical interventions they have time for will be done on the march. Yes, leave them the ash-bitten bone saws, and stop gaping like no one's ever given you orders before," Miss Eridwen snapped, sending three people into motion. She cursed beneath her breath, and turned to face them.

"Miss Eridwen," Valen said. "Can you spare a minute?"

"I think so. As long as that bumpkin doesn't drop that box," the old woman replied, with a glance back at someone holding a small box in his hands. "Yes, that box is supposed to be cold. Pound for pound, what you're holding is the most precious material in the City. So, unless you want to find out how miserable an angry surgeon can make your life, don't drop it."

"Firstly, ma'am, I'd like to apologize. We brought pain and violence onto your train," Valen said, standing up at attention. "I'm not sure how we can make this right."

"Well, I know who to be ticked with," Miss Eridwen said. "Oversight and Major Othwald, mostly. But don't think I'm not someone who's used to having to do unpleasant things because they need to be done. And Redgrave, I was there the day your grandfather kept that gate open. I remember the people he had to kill to keep it open. What that damn fool boy from Oversight forced you to do is remarkably similar, overall."

Valen nodded. "Aye, ma'am. I also had a question about the security detail you have working for you."

"Had. I can't keep them."

"Can you vouch for them? Were they good?"

"Good enough I didn't throw them out. Ignio has a good head on his shoulders, and they all stuck through the kind of ash-stained horror a lot of people ran from. Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking of reinforcing my squad," Valen admitted. "I can find a lot of uses for people who've proven themselves."

"Good. I wasn't looking forward to sending them back to their original postings," Miss Eridwen said. She turned, and pointed to someone now talking to Ignio. "I also want you to take Michael with you."

"Michael? One of your physicians?" Valen asked. "That doesn't seem like a resource you can spare. I can't imagine there are enough healers in the City for what's coming."

"There aren't. But if Michael's proven something to me, is that the boy has too much heart for my job. But as a frontline medic, he's perfect."

"Very well," Valen said. And surprisingly, he glanced over to Candice.

"Sir, I was hoping to stay with Miss Eridwen, if she'll still have me," Candice said quickly. "I lucked out by finding a place to be useful. I don't know if I'd find another."

"Sensible, kid," Miss Eridwen said. "And I told you I was going to work you until you had nothing left. The only way out of that is for me to run out of work first."

"Roderick, you should say your goodbyes," Valen said. "Crafter Polden has a small task for us, and I doubt Miss Eridwen and her crew plan to be here much longer."

"Yes, sir," Roderick said, and he turned to Candice. "Part of me had hoped to get you in. But I think I'll feel better knowing you're behind a few more walls."

"None of us are safe while the Golems are still standing," Candice agreed. "Just promise me you'll be careful. I'll worry about you."

"I'll stay as safe as I can," Roderick promised, and meant it.

"Good enough," Candice said, and she kissed him one more time. "No one should promise more than they can."