In Blackridge, a Beginner Fortress was under siege.
Outside the stone walls, amid the shifting lines of her assembled forces, stood Xandria. The banners of dozens of guilds fluttered behind her, their symbols stitched hastily together under a single command. At her side, as he always was, stood her Vice Leader, the man who had remained with her through every rise and near-collapse, watching her back in silence.
"Is the message out?" Xandria asked without turning her head.
"Already in Marcus Skeiner's ears," he replied.
She gave a small nod. She never asked how. Trust was something she gave sparingly, and once given, she did not second-guess it. He stood half a step behind her, eyes resting on her profile with a focus that bordered on intensity.
Xandria turned suddenly.
He startled, straightening at once and looking away.
"What?" she asked, brows knitting together at his reaction.
"N nothing," he said too quickly, the words tripping over each other.
