The freezing morning air of Winterguard did absolutely nothing to cure the pounding headache splitting my skull.
If anything, the hangover from last night's forced celebration made me want to crawl back into bed and sleep for another week. But my carriage was already packed and waiting in the courtyard.
Standing by the iron gates to see me off were Commander Arthur, Vice Commander James, and Viktor.
"Thank you again, Cadet," Arthur said, his scarred face softening into a warm smile. "And I mean it. Visit us again sometime. Under better circumstances, perhaps we can actually show you proper Northern hospitality instead of just a monster siege."
"I'll hold you to that, Commander," I replied, rubbing my temples. "Though I think I've had enough Northern ale to last me a lifetime."
Viktor and James chuckled.
