The north wall of Valdris had a decent view.
Not spectacular — the northern sector was forest and dirt road as far as the eye could see. But it was quiet at that hour of the morning, and quiet was what Kai needed before processing out loud what had happened the day before.
The guard on duty at that point of the wall looked at him when he sat down beside him.
He said nothing.
Neither did Kai.
Thirty seconds passed.
"If you're here," the guard finally said, with the careful tone of someone choosing their words, "and something is coming toward the city..."
"Nothing is coming toward the city."
"No, but if something were coming—"
"Manageable."
The guard processed this.
He decided the view toward the horizon was interesting and devoted himself to looking at it.
---
Kai looked at the horizon too.
"I can't believe," he said, to the air, with the tone of someone continuing a conversation that started a while ago, "the situation I got myself into in a single day."
---
