The Border. Morning.
Mei stood at the edge of the training yard, watching the sun rise over the mountains.
The volunteers were behind her—Tomas, the others. They had been training for months. They had fought creatures, survived attacks, lost friends. They were not the same people who had come to the border seeking glory.
They were soldiers now.
But William was gone. He had ridden south to the capital, to his father's funeral, to his brother's coronation. He had not asked them to come. He had not said when he would return.
Tomas walked to stand beside her. "What do we do?"
Mei was quiet for a moment. "We follow."
"To the capital?"
"To William."
---
They packed their bags.
The volunteers gathered in the courtyard—twelve of them, scarred and hardened and ready. Their weapons were sharp, their armor was patched, their eyes were clear. They had been waiting for something. Now they had it.
The Duke came to see them off.
He stood at the top of the steps, his hands clasped behind his back, his face unreadable. He had watched them train, had watched them fight, had watched them grow.
"The capital is not the border," he said. "The nobles will not respect you. The soldiers will not trust you. The people will not understand you."
Mei met his eyes. "We're not going for them."
The Duke nodded slowly. "Then go."
---
The road south was long.
Mei led, her sword at her hip, her eyes on the horizon. Tomas rode beside her, his bow across his back. The others followed in silence.
They passed villages, farms, fields. They saw smoke from chimneys, children playing, merchants trading. The world continued. The kingdom continued.
They didn't stop.
---
They reached the capital at sunset.
The walls were gray, the towers tall, the gates open. Banners flew at half-mast. The city was still in mourning.
Mei rode through the gates. The guards challenged her. She showed them William's seal—the one he had left behind, in case they needed it.
The guards stepped aside.
---
William was gone.
He had left for the border the day before, riding north with Lira, Davin, Tina, and Ken's shadow clone. The palace was quiet. The nobles were circling. The servants were whispering.
Mei stood in the courtyard, her hands on her hips, her face still.
"What now?" Tomas asked.
Mei looked at the guild hall in the distance. "Now we find work."
---
The guild hall was busy.
Adventurers came and went, signing contracts, collecting bounties, heading out on missions. Garret stood behind the counter, his hook gleaming, his voice steady. Grace sat at her desk, papers spread before her, her quill scratching. Sera watched the door, her sword across her knees.
Mei walked to the counter.
"We're looking for work," she said.
Garret studied her. "You're the volunteers. From the border."
Mei nodded. "We were."
"You're not soldiers anymore?"
"We're adventurers now."
Garret was silent for a moment. Then he nodded. "Register here. Grace will assign you quarters. Sera will brief you on contracts."
Mei turned to the others.
"You heard him."
---
The volunteers registered.
They signed their names, received their room assignments, listened to Sera's briefing. The contracts were simple—cull creatures, protect caravans, scout the hills. Nothing they hadn't done before.
Mei gathered them in the great hall.
"We're not William's soldiers anymore," she said. "We're not the Duke's volunteers. We're adventurers."
Tomas nodded. "What does that mean?"
"It means we choose our own missions. We set our own schedules. We answer to no one but ourselves."
The volunteers exchanged glances.
"And William?" someone asked.
Mei looked at the door, at the city beyond, at the road that led north.
"When he comes back, we'll be ready."
---
They formed parties.
Mei led one—scouting, tracking, reconnaissance. Tomas led another—culling creatures, protecting caravans. The others split between them, based on their skills, their weapons, their experience.
By the end of the week, they had completed three contracts. By the end of the month, they had completed a dozen.
The guild accepted them. The adventurers respected them. The nobles noticed them.
Mei didn't care about nobles.
She cared about being ready.
---
One night, she sat on the roof of the guild hall, looking at the stars.
Tomas joined her.
"You're thinking," he said.
"Always."
"About William?"
Mei was quiet for a moment. "About Aldric. About the portal. About what's coming."
Tomas sat beside her. "The hunters?"
"The hunters. Vorlag. Whatever is out there."
Tomas was silent for a moment. "Do you think we can win?"
Mei looked at the stars. "I don't know. But we're going to try."
---
The weeks passed.
The volunteers became adventurers. The adventurers became veterans. The veterans became leaders.
Mei led missions into the hills, tracking creatures, mapping nests, reporting to Grog. Tomas led patrols along the roads, protecting caravans, fighting off attacks. The others found their roles—scouts, guards, hunters.
They were not the same people who had come to the capital seeking purpose.
They had found it.
---
One evening, a messenger arrived from the border.
William was alive. The Vargr were still massing. The hunters were still watching. The pass was still quiet.
Mei read the letter twice. Folded it. Put it in her pocket.
Tomas watched her. "What does it say?"
"He's holding. He needs time."
"Time for what?"
Mei looked at the guild hall, at the adventurers training, at the people who had come to fight.
"Time for us to be ready."