Carcan wasn’t used to nerves. She had faced down goblins, trolls, and horrors conjured in training without her hands shaking. But now, lingering at he side of a random table, she felt her stomach knot and twist.

  Across the room, Caistina stood in quiet conversation with another mentor, her posture as precise as ever despite the fatigue shadowing her eyes. Carcan’s thoughts churned. What if this is foolish? What if it isn’t something we should be discussing yet? What if he refuses… or worse, what if it breaks him further?

  Still, the image from earlier that morning wouldn’t leave her. Bheldur Giantguard leaning against a post, bloodied, battered, and burdened with grief, had survived when no one else had. He was still standing. And that mattered.

  She squared her shoulders and crossed the hall, finding the courage to approach the table. “Caistina? Could I have a word?”

  The elf’s gaze flicked to her, narrowing slightly. “Make it quick. I’ve had little sleep.”

  Carcan hesitated, then pressed on. “It’s about Bheldur. I… think he should join us.”

  Caistina’s expression was unreadable for a heartbeat. Then she leaned back, folding her arms. “That’s bold. The dwarf has barely drawn breath since yesterday. Do you understand what you’re asking of him?”

  “I know he’s in pain,” Carcan said quietly. “But he’s a fighter with skills we think we need. More than that… he deserves not to be cast aside. If he wants to keep fighting, he should have a place. A family.”

  Caistina’s sharp eyes softened, just a fraction. She studied Carcan for a long moment before sighing. “You’re earnest. I’ll give you that. But this decision isn’t mine to decide alone. Come. We’ll see what Ronald thinks.”

  Relief mingled with unease as Carcan fell into step beside her. Together they wove through clusters of rookies, their chatter tinged with unease.

  Ronald was at his usual post near the quest boards, arms crossed as he spoke with two veterans. He raised a bushy brow when Caistina and Carcan approached. “What’s this, then?” His voice was rough, but not unkind.

  “Carcan has a proposal,” Caistina said. “About Bheldur.”

  Carcan forced herself to meet his gaze. “Sir, I think he should join our party. If he wants to. He’s strong, skilled… and he needs somewhere to belong after what happened.”

  Ronald didn’t move straight away when Caistina mentioned Bheldur’s name. He just stood there, arms folded, eyes narrowing slightly as if weighing the request before even acknowledging it. “You’re serious about this?” he asked Carcan at last, his voice low and deliberate.

  Carcan nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  Ronald’s gaze flicked to Caistina, then back to Carcan. “You’ve barely been back a day since you experienced something traumatic, are you ready for this? You’ve seen him, haven’t you? The state he’s in.”

  “I have,” Carcan said. “And I know he’s hurting. But I also know he’s alive when no one else from his party is. That means something. And I know we haven’t been through the same situation as he has, but we nearly died yesterday as well, so at least have some understanding of what he’s going through… I know it’s not the same, but at least we’re probably best suited to support him.”

  Ronald grunted, the sound halfway between agreement and dismissal. “Survival doesn’t always mean readiness. Sometimes it just means you were lucky enough to be standing in the right place when the killing stopped.”

  Caistina’s tone was cool but measured. “She’s not wrong, Ronald. Also, the dwarf’s skill set fits their gaps. And if he’s going to keep breathing, he’ll need a reason to fight.”

  Ronald’s brow furrowed deeply, looking Carcan in the eye. “You’re quick to tie yourself to a man half?drowned in grief.”

  “I know,” Carcan replied. “But I don’t think he’ll heal by sitting in the shadows alone.”

  Ronald studied Carcan for a long moment, then sighed. “All right. Let’s see if he’s even willing to talk.”

  —

  They crossed the guildhall together, the noise of low conversation fading as they moved toward the far end of the tavern space. Bheldur sat hunched at the bar, shoulders rounded, one hand wrapped around a tankard that looked far too small for his grip. The half?empty tankard before him, and the barkeep’s uneasy glances suggested it wasn’t his first of the morning.

  Carcan’s chest tightened as she looked at the dwarf. His hair was dishevelled, his armour hung loosely and was streaked with dried blood. Seeing him like this drove home how raw his loss was.

  Caistina’s voice dropped low, eyes glancing over the tankard to Carcan. “He’s in shock. Don’t fault him for it.”

  “I don’t,” Carcan murmured. “Not for a heartbeat.”

  Ronald stopped a few paces back, his voice carrying just enough to be heard. “Bheldur.”

  The dwarf didn’t turn, didn’t even react to his name being called. He took another slow drink, set the tankard down, and only then looked over his shoulder. His eyes were bloodshot, rimmed red from drink and grief alike.

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  Ronald stepped forward, keeping his tone steady. “We need to speak with you.”

  Bheldur’s gaze moved from Ronald to Caistina, then finally to Carcan. He held her eyes for a long, silent beat before speaking. “What is it?”

  Carcan swallowed, forcing her voice to stay even. “I… I’ve come to ask if you’d join our party. If you want to, I mean. If you still want to be an adventurer after what you’ve been through. We’ve got an open space, and I think you’d be a good fit… and we’d be a good fit for you, from what we know about you.”

  The words tumbled out in a rush, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

  Bheldur’s brow furrowed, the lines deepening. “Join another party?” His voice was flat, almost incredulous. “You know what happened to mine, right? You know what I’ve just been through.”

  “I do,” Carcan said softly. “And I’m not asking you to go back out there tomorrow. I’m asking if you can see yourself getting back out there at all and if so, to work with us. Help us get strong enough to face what’s out there when the time comes… and we’ll help you in the same way.”

  Bheldur’s mouth twisted into a grim half?smile. “You think strength is all it takes to kill the dead? You think swinging harder will stop them?”

  Ronald’s voice cut in, firm but not unkind. “She thinks you’ve got more to give than sitting here drinking yourself hollow.”

  Bheldur’s eyes narrowed. “And what if I don’t? What if all I’ve got left is what I left in that cave?”

  Caistina stepped closer, her gaze sharp. “Then you’ll die here, slowly, and the undead will keep walking. Or you can stand, fight, and make sure they don’t take anyone else.”

  Bheldur looked back at Carcan, his expression unreadable. “Why me?”

  “Because you’ve seen them,” Carcan said. “Because you know what they can do. And because I don’t believe you’re done yet. We didn’t lose anyone yesterday, but we came damned close, so maybe we can help each other with working through the trauma.”

  Silence stretched between them. The dwarf’s fingers tightened around his tankard, knuckles whitening. He stared into the dark ale as if it might hold the answer, taking several slow swigs.

  Finally, he set it down with a quiet thud. “If I do this… if I join you… we don’t stop until every corpse in that cave is ash and dust. No half?measures. No giving up because we’re tired, or it’s been a difficult day.”

  Carcan nodded without hesitation. “Agreed.”

  Bheldur’s gaze lingered on her for another long moment, then he gave a short, almost reluctant nod. “Then I’ll stand with you. But you’d better be ready to bleed for it.”

  Ronald’s mouth twitched into the faintest hint of approval. “Looks like you’ve got your answer. Don’t waste it.”

  Caistina’s eyes swept over them both, her tone cool but carrying a thread of respect. “Then it’s settled. Train hard. And remember, no going back to that cave until you’re stronger.”

  Bheldur nodded, though his expression was conflicted. He rose from his stool, movements slow but deliberate. “When do we start?”

  Carcan met his gaze. “Now? Tomorrow? When suits you best?”

  Bheldur dragged his hands over his eyes, down to his chin, wiping spilled ale away. “No better time than the present. Sooner we start, the sooner we get strong enough to go back.”

  Carcan’s smile was genuine. “Brilliant. My party’s just over there, you’ll remember them from training. Perberos is my twin brother, he’s a ranger as well, but he prefers his bow to being up close, and we’ve formed a permanent party with Josh the warrior and Brett the mage. We worked well together yesterday, but realised we were lacking another front?line fighter. From what I’ve heard, you slot into that role perfectly.”

  She indicated toward the dining hall and started walking, leaving the mentors behind.

  Bheldur walked beside her, heavy boots thudding against the timber floor. As they crossed the hall, he dragged his hands through his hair, wiped dirt from his arms, and straightened his posture. His axes hung at his hips, worn but sharp, and his eyes scanned the room with the restless caution of a man who no longer trusted safety.

  At the far table, Josh, Brett, and Perberos sat picking at their breakfast. Conversation faltered as they saw Carcan approaching with the dwarf in tow.

  Josh straightened, gaze flicking between them. “Carcan…?”

  She stopped at the edge of the table. “This is Bheldur Giantguard. He’s joining us.”

  Brett’s brows rose. “Joining us? As in… part of the party? He said yes?” Surprise plastered across his face.

  Bheldur’s voice was low, gravelly. “If you’ll have me. And if you’re willing to get strong enough to go back to that cave.”

  Perberos looked at his sister. “The cave?”

  “The one where the undead took my party,” Bheldur said flatly. “We don’t stop until we’re strong enough to make sure every corpse in there is ash and dust.”

  Josh’s jaw tightened. “That’s… a big promise.”

  “It’s the only promise worth making,” Bheldur replied.

  Brett leaned back, studying him. “You’re a ranger?”

  “Aye. Axes, close?quarters.” he said, patting the two axes at his side. “Though I throw when I need to, but I prefer to feel the hit land.”

  Josh’s eyes narrowed slightly, but there was no hostility, just the weighing of a man who’d quickly become used to leading from the front. “We’ve never fought the undead. Just drakes, goblins and bugs..”

  “Then you’ll learn,” Bheldur said. “I did. Pretty damn quickly.”

  Carcan rested a hand on the back of a chair. “He’s fought them. He knows what they can do and what we’ll need to learn before we go there. We need that knowledge if we’re going to survive. And I’m sure Caistina will give us advice as well.”

  Brett’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. “Guess we’d best get training and levelling then, as Ronald won’t let us anywhere near that cave until we’re stronger. Do any of you know if there’s a rank or level requirement yet?”

  Every member shook their head. Brett shrugged. “Ah well. We’ll find out soon enough. For now, let’s get the items we each needed, then meet back here in an hour to look for quests.”

  Bheldur’s mouth curved into the barest hint of a smile. “Good. The idea of wasting away and feeling sorry for myself never really appealed to me.”

  Carcan slid into a seat, the tension in her shoulders easing. For the first time since the news of the undead attack, she felt like she could breathe.

  Josh raised his mug. “To new friends.”

  Bheldur lifted his tankard in return. “And to finishing what was started.”

  The mugs clinked, the sound sharp in the quiet hall. Outside, the wind rattled the shutters, carrying with it the promise of battles yet to come. Parties of adventurers were leaving the town, heading towards the cave to set up an initial perimeter, before the extermination could start.

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