Page 146 of Phoenix's Fire

Kanik

It was a somber walk back. The dead were carried by their friends, tucked in the middle of the rest of the militia, but as we entered the city walls, curtains were pushed aside. Lit from behind, they were easy to see. A few came outside to watch the procession, but Zasen wouldn't let us stop until we reached the city stage.

Then the bells began tolling, announcing our return to the entire town.

It didn't take long before loved ones and family members came to meet us. Quickly, a crowd was growing. By the time Zasen directed the deceased to be laid out on the stage, a hush had fallen over everyone.

"I need to tell the families," Zasen said. "Kanik, you and Ayla fill Rymar in, okay?"

"Promise," I assured him, reaching up to clasp his arm. "Remind their families that they're heroes."

"And still gone," he said, turning away.

"He tells them?" Ayla asked, looking up at me.

"Yeah," I said, angling her away from the stage as I searched for Rymar's bright skin. "He feels responsible for everyone in the militia. It was his plan, so he feels like it's his fault."

"But it was my plan," she said.

"And it's not your faulteither," I told her. "This is on the Moles."

"Kanik!" Rymar called, making me turn in the opposite direction. "Ayla!"

"Rymar!" she called out, thrusting a hand into the air.

I was a little impressed at that. In the last few weeks, Ayla had stopped worrying so much about being polite and proper. She'd realized that loud and proud worked much better with us. Thankfully, Rymar heard her.

Pushing through people, he didn't stop until he slammed into me, hugging me hard. "Are you okay?" Then he looked at Ayla. "You? Zasen?" That had his eyes jump back to me.

"We lost four," Ayla told him.

"Three were carried back," I clarified. "They took one. Ermial."

"Fuck," Rymar breathed. "But just one?"

"Just one," I assured him, adding, "thanks to a Mole."

"What?!" he snapped.

"Ayla and Zasen had a pair sneak up on them. Turns out one of them was sent by her friend. The way Zasen tells it, the good guy shot the other."

"Holly hit Malcus before he could shoot anyway," Ayla said. "I didn't even know Tobias shot at him. I just heard it and hit the ground."

"Wait, what?" Rymar demanded.

"We flanked the Moles," she explained, "and two of them flanked us. Zasen and I heard them at the same time."

"And what if that man hadn't been your friend?" Rymar demanded. "Is he your friend?"

"It sounds like he's Callah's friend," she said. "But it was okay."

He huffed and turned to me. "Really?"

"They had twice as many as normal, and when we surprised them, the Moles formed up like an army." I made a curve with my hand, demonstrating what had happened. "That put all of us on the wrong side of the guns, but Ayla dropped some in the middle and Zasen took off, keeping his tail high so they'd see it."

"Drawing their fire," Rymar grumbled. "Fucking idiot. And he had her with him?"

"He outpaced her a bit," I explained, but Ayla was gaping at me.

---