My ankle was finally healed. I could work again. Being disabled was unpleasant; I felt like a burden.
“As if my age wasn’t enough of an encumbrance,” I thought.

Lately, several villagers had been stopping by to see me and help with my daily tasks. I didn’t like depending on others.

Astur came often too.
“I have been assigned as your bodyguard,” he explained. Valensia’s orders.

She honored me with her presence.

I was still consumed with shame for what I had shown— that uncontrolled panic. I should have held myself better.

That just went to show that age didn’t mean much after all.

The village was buzzing—but not in a good way.

The letter sent to Valensia was from her elder sister, leader of the Arpentia clan, at the head of a powerful army. She had found out Valensia was here and demanded a duel between the two clans.

The Von de Minervus family... always craving internal conflicts. When members of the family were sent to another clan after graduating from the Center Mathesia, they always found each other and fought.
The winner kept control of the army, and the other became an important member of the clan despite their defeat. Powerful they were, those Von de Minervus.
Their blood produced formidable warriors. Their pride was unrivaled.

Valensia refused.
“I don’t give a shit about those childish nonsense,” she said.

Damn... who let her answer like that? That wasn’t good at all.

Scouts spotted an army approaching. It wasn’t very large—probably a test to gauge our defenses.

The village was preparing for battle.

We stayed outside the “clan game,” but we weren’t weak. Our soldiers and mages were experienced.

Even if she didn’t talk about it, I knew Valensia felt guilty. Without her name, maybe this threat never would have happened, she might have thought. But that wasn’t entirely true. Another clan could attack just for pleasure.

But next to me, I felt her vulnerability—the one she hid from everyone.

I’m the old doyenne, after all. It’s only natural for young people to confide in me.

We finally saw the army at the bottom of the plain. It seemed a bit more numerous than ours.
Non-combatants were requisitioned to care for the wounded if necessary.

Valensia remained in her quarters. She refused to participate directly in the fight.

Although this seemed surprising, I knew she was thinking about contingency plans.

Since her quarters were opposite the north gate, it was difficult to relay information to her quickly.
I suspected she preferred to stay back to better react in case of a surprise attack on the rear flank—unlikely, certainly, but prudent as always.
And as a melee specialist, she wouldn’t have been very useful in the initial ranged exchanges, dominated by magical attacks. It was better for her to save herself.

Even though I sensed, deep down, she hoped everything would end without her having to intervene.

As for me, I had been expressly asked to stay away.

An unspoken rule stipulated that the elders, seen as war prizes, were untouchable.
What a sad honor, you might say.

But their knowledge was too precious: most were medical experts or custodians of rare traditions.
Officially harmless, they were supposed to pose no danger to the victors.

Astur, still assigned to my protection, stuck to his orders. I found this a shame. Such a promising mage would have been much more useful on the front lines.
So I decided to approach the ramparts.

He would then have no choice but to defend the clan while ensuring my safety.

He hesitated, of course, fearing Valensia’s wrath.

But it was too late. I had no intention of backing down.

The first magical blasts struck the walls. Fortunately, Valensia’s new defenses proved particularly effective.

The battle had begun.

Very quickly, the enemy army crashed against our walls. Our well-trained soldiers effectively repelled them.

The confrontation lasted barely a few hours.

We were victorious.

Five enemy elders were captured.

When interrogated, two of them revealed they only had medical skills.

Valensia assigned them to care for the wounded, though without much enthusiasm.

From the other three, we managed to obtain some information:

As Valensia suspected, the attack was just a test. It was carried out by a vassal clan of the Arpentia clan. The real threat came from the Arpentia clan itself, led by Malicia von de Minervus.
Scouts had observed the battle and spotted our defenses. They were going to report to their leader. Malicia didn’t care about the village; she simply wanted to test her little sister.

That was the only truth we could extract. Valensia didn’t trust them at all.

"It's not because they are harmless that they cannot hurt us," she said to me.
"The attack was just a test. Maybe they are trying to weaken us from within, to curry favor with Arpentia. If they aren’t already at their service..."

I shared her opinion. Such caution was far from excessive.

We had few injuries, and material damage remained minor. Valensia’s defenses had proven effective. To celebrate our victory, a small reception was organized in the quarters.

I had the idea to bring a cake—an exceptional one.
Representing the mountains of our village, carefully decorated, topped with whipped cream to evoke snow.

I was very proud of myself. I crossed the noisy room, avoiding the agitated guests as best I could.

I was about to place it on the table when somebody pushed me...

I saw it, in slow motion, crash onto the stage.

A silence, barely a second—then everyone burst out laughing.

I froze.
Face in my hands, icy fear gripped me.

I thought I was going to be punished. Like in my past.

That this mistake would cost me dearly.

But when I opened my eyes again... everyone was still laughing, and eating pieces of the exploded cake at the same time.
Valensia was staring at me. She said nothing. But everything in her eyes reassured me—like a silent tenderness.
It’s okay. It’s just a cake.

And that was true.
I had to accept it. The fear had to go away.
Valensia was different.

In the last days, we focused only on preparing for the next battle. Arpentia was nearby.

The foreign doyennes told us that their army was just a little bigger than ours. But from my memories, that wasn’t true. I told Valensia, and she agreed.

— Don’t talk to those vile snakes, she told me one night.

Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time with her—watching the doyenne, thinking about improving defenses and organizing logistics.

After that, Asra volunteered to monitor the captive doyennes.
I was surprised. With her temperament, I couldn’t imagine her babysitting grandmothers... but whatever.

For now, everything was going according to plan.

Thus came the fateful day.

As during the last battle, Valensia remained in her quarters, focused and far from the battlefield. The enemy elders, meanwhile, were kept in custody in nearby quarters under Asra’s watch.

I was, as usual, near the ramparts. Astur, always faithful to his duty, stood by my side.

The sky was low and overcast. A thick fog had risen, muffling sounds and fears. In the distance, only the echoes of an army on the march could be heard.

A heavy silence had fallen over the village. Some soldiers wore a facade of serenity. Others, younger or less experienced, betrayed their nervousness.

And then, they were here.

The enemy army deployed in several lines. They were… countless. Hundreds, perhaps thousands. A sea of dark silhouettes stretched as far as the eye could see.

I didn’t have time to grasp the magnitude of the danger before the first projectiles were launched. Fireballs, air blades, destructive spells… The battle began without warning.

Very quickly, our defenses were overwhelmed. The mages struggled to repel the intensity of the assaults. The buildings near the ramparts were reduced to rubble. Cries of pain mingled with the roar of explosions. The village was burning.

The medics tried to extinguish the flames and pull the wounded from the debris. But the enemy advanced, relentless. The clanging of metal could already be heard at the foot of the doors.

Astur gave me a serious look.

“Viera… go warn Valensia. Quickly.”

That was enough. I started running as fast as my legs could carry me, narrowly dodging several fireballs.

This body… so slow…

The walk to Valensia’s quarters seemed endless. The sky seemed clearer on this side of the village, but I knew it wouldn’t last.

At the top of the stairs, just before I pushed open the door, a movement caught my eye: furtive shapes slipping into the bushes at the foot of the rear wall.

I wouldn’t wait.

“Valensia!” I gasped as I entered.

When she saw me, she understood.

Asra arrived at the same time.

“The army… it’s huge. The doyennes were lying and…”

I caught my breath.

“You’re not safe here. We have to move, now.”

She said nothing but followed me immediately.

But it was too late.

The movements in the bushes… There were six of them. Assassins. They had crossed the wall and were heading straight for us.

I stood in front of Valensia, a living shield. I went down the steps. A woman, obviously a mage, stepped forward mockingly.

“Get out, granny. We don’t want you,” she snickered, to the hearty laughter of her companions.

I said nothing. I stared at her. She approached, raised her hands to cast a spell in my direction, but… nothing. Her spell had no effect. Her smile faltered. Her gaze betrayed her incomprehension.

I raised my hand in front of her…

“Move,” I said in a barely audible voice.

Her body was propelled several meters away. A deathly silence fell.

I turned to Valensia, ready to tell her to run.

And I saw…

Blood. Gushing from her throat. Behind her, Asra. Her dagger still dripping in hand.

Her gaze was cold. A cruel smile stretched her lips.

“Thanks for the distraction, granny,” she said in a honeyed voice.

“Arf… I always do the nasty jobs.”

She wiped her blade on Valensia’s outfit, her body slowly collapsing to the ground.

I stood frozen. My legs no longer supported me. The world blurred.

“No… impossible… she can’t be…”

I stared at her inert body, and something… broke.

A dull pain pierced me, a scream burst from my guts.

And then… blackness.