Chapter 26

From a hill above Carrasque, Galva, Inocenta, and Alisenne watch Holtish and Far Banner hosts arrive amid drums and pipes. They appraise the diverse troops—Brayçish archers, Galtish Coldfoots, Unthern two-handers—and note Unthern caravans laden with food and beer. The reinforcements include many women and elders, underscoring the war’s toll. The army plans to march for Goltay in two days.

That night, Galva is struck by violent flux. A quarter of the army falls ill, the camp reeking of waste and misery. Barber-surgeons worsen outcomes for many, but a black-tongued Galt wise-woman treats Galva’s lanza with an herbal tea, speeding recovery. Inocenta remains healthy and tends Galva with unwavering care.

Casualties mount: six hundred die in the Western Army of Ispanthia and roughly a thousand among Gallards and Far Banners. Weakened and feverish, Galva endures vivid dreams shaped by recent horrors, but one vision steadies her: a childhood memory on the Braga estate with her ancient mare Idala that turns to flight.

In the dream, Galva chooses to descend and return, thinking of loved ones and duties. Waking soiled and exhausted, she realizes the dream signaled survival—a gift from the Bride—and that she consciously chose life. Inocenta’s tenderness seals the moment, and Galva emerges resolved as the march to Goltay approaches.