Lungworth

It seemed to her that everything was correct and well-thought-out. That her subordinates were ready for a fight and would move with her in a harmonious waltz, bringing death to their enemies. Just as it had been back then with the folks from Baldr. That was a mistake. First, Veritta found herself in the path of an unfortunate shot from Mr. Kayoshi, then Gai ended up in an unexpected position and took Gulveig's spear to the eye, and then Vega herself was flying headfirst into a rock after a kick to the back. The only question in her mind was: "Mother, why?"
A night sky dotted with stars, wind, and fresh air. Just moments ago, it seemed like something stank terribly, but now not a trace of that smell remained. Instead, there were smells of smoke, and also a bit of that characteristic, electric scent — before an approaching thunderstorm.

Gulveig looked around for the source of the former and soon found it.

— M? How... Honestly, I didn't expect to see you, — she admitted, surprised but with sad resignation.

— Oh? Who were you waiting for then? — Corsen sat on the ground, roasting a lamb on a spit. — By the way, it'll be ready soon, you should take a piece, there's too much for me alone.

— Mother, of course. Isn't she supposed to see me off? Or, perhaps, someone from those who are no longer with us... Father Gungnir, Aunt Emilia? Röhei, Veserod, Alessia? Won't they meet me? I feel like they should.

Corsen wasn't looking at her, but at the roasting meat.

— Asterion, Gai, and Veritta... — Vega recalled. — I would have liked to go with them. They must be very scared, I don't want them to be separate! Even if not all of them are Arterians, but... Is that really so important here and now? And perhaps even... That my teacher... Might also be waiting for me.

The firelight danced on the girl's wet cheeks.

— Your problem is that you're too fond of rushing things, Gulveig of Baldr. By the way... I wanted to compliment you, that was a great performance! The personal one, I mean. A true Nakirian dance, fierce yet graceful. If you ever shed that shell of yours, it'll be even better.

— But the team dance fell short, of course... What, strangers aren't like your brothers and sisters, right, Gulveig? They don't want to obey, they don't want to feel you? You had to yell at one five times to finally get him to retreat from battle, and it's better to do everything yourself, isn't it?

— ...

— Tell me... Do you want to do everything yourself, or do you still need friends, followers, and helpers? Do you like having them, does it give you strength? Did you like the way they looked at you today, despite your mistakes?

The girl thought it over, and the images of that day stood before her as if alive. Her comrades perceived everything as some kind of game in the first few seconds, but with each moment, with each new unexpected and terrible turn, uncertainty grew within them. They were all different, some held on, some were afraid, some didn't care... All of them were united by one thing — they looked at Gulveig, and she was the only thread connecting them all to hope. They watched as the goblins, those dangerous, numerous, nimble, and cunning creatures, spawn of Darkness, turned into bloody mush from the starlight of her spear. As long as the spear shone, everyone was ready to continue the fight, no matter what. That feeling of pride and responsibility... It wasn't there back then, in the solo fight with the wolf monsters. Perhaps it was the first time in her entire life. Too bad it ended this way; from that point, one could truly believe that the proud title of Valkyrie was not far off.

"Forgive me, guys, for letting you down. And forgive me, Mother, for letting you down."
Vega, as in the old days, felt terrible fatigue again. She just wanted to fall asleep, think about nothing, do nothing. Never again.

Corsen, with a sharp motion, tore a leg off the lamb and tossed it to the young Serberian — no matter how lost in thought she was, she still caught it instinctively. Though she had no appetite. None at all.
— I told you, I won't eat all this myself. Eat.

The girl didn't argue and reluctantly took a small bite, while the Nakirian continued.
— So then, I have a red she-wolf among my shepherds; I'll send her to you soon. Of course, I can't compete with your Arteria in gift-giving, but when I said I'd help, that was the honest truth... If you want, consider that she put the idea in my head, or maybe she did. Don't you dare lose heart or kick the bucket on me, I won't forgive you for it! After all, according to our agreement, I am your first follower, remember?

A predatory grin appeared on the shepherd's face, and then he laughed his trademark nasty, wolfish laugh. Soon, neither Corsen nor the plains of Nakiri remained before Gulveig's eyes, but that laugh still echoed, somehow unexpectedly and frighteningly morphing into indignant shouts, sounds of blows, and the hissing of meat burning on the fire.
Finally, the day was coming to an end, and Gulveig of Baldr allowed herself to sit on a bench at the edge of the village of Ephemeria and doze off a little. In the second raid on the goblins, only a handful participated besides the Arterian herself, and even then only after lengthy and persistent persuasion of their leader. For Eyr, there wasn't even that option — the leader of Dracena was grateful to her sister but firmly insisted that their main task had to be completed independently. Not that it was a great feat; after a horde of small goblins and a couple of champions, a few clumsy hobgoblins and shamans with nearly depleted mana were easy prey. Much more difficult was clearing the unexpected blockage at the cave entrance and pulling out Gai, who had somehow gotten inside (what happened there, and why the villagers disliked Gai enough to torment him like that, is a matter for a separate investigation). Also completed were important reconnaissance tasks (Harold successfully found out that the elder was not involved in the betrayal, and there was no need to fear returning) and the elimination of an escaped goblin (Lester tracked it, and possibly with the help of Garret, who was sent after him, the creature of darkness was eliminated).

— I'll... Ask the elder to set up a bathhouse for us girls too... In due order, after the rescued captives, maybe tomorrow, — Vega wiped a two-layer crust of stinking goblin blood from her face. A sauna was absolutely necessary here; this blood smelled amazingly nauseating and truly unique, unlike any beast or human. But, as mentioned repeatedly before, the main victims had been imprisoned in the goblin caves for long weeks, and they required the most attention right now.

Finally, Gulveig gathered her strength and stood up to say more than a few words to her comrades for the first time that day. There was something proud and solemnly sorrowful in her figure and face.

— Today, you all saw, and those who already knew before could remind themselves, what mercenary work is like. One small mistake, a couple of unpleasant coincidences... You fail to account for something once, forget the constant risk that outside forces might interfere with your work — and everything goes haywire. Frankly speaking, we failed today, — Vega unconsciously repeated the words of the Elheim baron once spoken to the Baldrians. — We were close, the greenskins fought desperately, but they could never have counted on victory, even though their assault caused injuries to our comrades... It was when Arteria herself turned away from us, when our opponents became people from this village, and the bones of fate, that we tasted the bitterness of defeat. But that was only to strengthen us, for just as Arteria left us in the heat of battle, so she took pity on us afterward, allowing Shanaz, Kayoshi, Erich, Atarax, Garret, and Harold to overcome the goblins pursuing them. And granting me, Veritta, and Gai salvation in the form of my sister from Baldr, the formidable Eyr von Walravn, a magnificent saber-wielder and master of the fire path. Without her help and sudden rescue, today's victory would have been impossible.

— I would also like... To thank all of you for your work. Including those who received serious injuries today. I think they, and everyone who remains, will now have to work twice as hard to save up for recovery from their injuries. It's possible, although it comes down to large sums of money.

"Truth be told, I wouldn't have minded spending our rewards on recovery elixirs right now, but such a decision can't be made alone in a group of mercenaries."

— However, if anyone doesn't want to keep risking and seeking adventure with "Dracena," I won't blame them. I only want to point out how today ended for us. There are two sides to mercenary work. The one I've mentioned, and the one that appeared when we returned to the village with the captives. Apparently, no one expected us back alive. But all the greater was the surprise in these people's eyes when we did come. You yourselves saw what a ray of hope we became for them, as well as for the rescued women. They are still depressed and sad; it's not certain they'll recover from their experiences, but if the old joy of life does return to them, you'll know who made it happen. That is certainly worth something. To those who are indifferent to others' happiness or sorrow now — well... Then I'll put it differently. What we went through today is the first step on the path to our glory! Surely you can't be indifferent to that?

— Finally, let us remember our fallen comrade, Asterion. I knew him only briefly, but he was a reliable travel companion, a good conversationalist, a strong fighter... It was he who inspired the creation of our mercenary band. But, unfortunately, he did not have time to realize his true potential. Let us honor him with a moment of silence. May he find peace in the next life.
In the following days, Gulveig told Eyr absolutely everything, except perhaps the most naive parts of her plans and thoughts, and some too embarrassing incidents. In turn, she hoped that Eyr would also share valuable stories, and perhaps some experience... Both sisters were probably surprised by the radical changes in each other, how much more mature, stronger, and, well, more feminine they had become — how could that be missed?

Catching Eyr's glances during the conversation wasn't difficult. Maybe, of course, the Arterian imagined it, but probably not; her sister wouldn't overlook such an important detail.
— Yes, it is, — Gulveig confirmed. — Your gift fits my current style perfectly; I've slain many enemies with it, and I've spoken of you fondly. I think I should give it a special name, after everything that's happened... "Heartseeker." That's what I'll call it.

One interesting question remained, strangely troubling, though Vega didn't dare voice it aloud. Back then, during the battle, how had Erich exactly reproduced the short monologue of the void mage Zeno?! What other surprises did her squad "Dracena" have in store for Gulveig?

Well. Perhaps everything will be revealed later. Live and see.