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“Absolutely.”

“Congratulations on the promotion, by the way.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks.”

They started walking together around the perimeter of the camp.

“Is Lidishta enjoying the peaceful sleep?” Iryana asked, desperate for some levity.

Vaneshta frowned, looking confused. “What do you mean?”

Iryana fought a smile. “You haven’t had a single drink on this march, so I bet she’s gotten a reprieve from your snoring.”

With a gasp, Vaneshta whacked Iryana on the shoulder. “Just so you know, Lidi hasn’t complained about my snoring once.”

“She must like you a lot more than I thought,” Iryana deadpanned.

“Maybe my snoring isn’t as bad as you remember.” Vaneshta crossed her arms, scowling deeply.

“I slept in the same room as you for months!” Iryana protested. “I could never forget it.”

Vaneshta just laughed, shaking her head.

“How are things going?” Iryana asked. “With Lidishta, I mean.”

At the beginning of autumn, Vaneshta and Lidishta had spent a week alone in the forest together, mapping dakii paths to cover for Iryana and Pyetar seeking reinforcements against Karvek. They had come back from the forest closer than ever, and by the time Pyetar took over the 18th, they were together.

Vaneshta’s face softened. “I really like her. I know I thought she was a brat at first, and I guess she kinda is. But she’s also brave and smart. And beautiful. Plus, she puts up with me, which isn’t easy.”

Iryana laughed.

“I think she struggles a lot more than she says.” Vaneshta’s voice dropped lower as she led them farther from camp. “I don’t know everything that happened between her and her brother, but I know she’s happy he’s gone. He must have been a complete asshole. I’d love to have gotten my hands on him.”

Major Darish, Lidishta’s brother, had already been dead when Iryana returned to the fort to challenge Karvek. She was pretty sure Lidishta had killed him as part of the distraction that let Iryana get away.

“It might take her some time,” Iryana said gently. She knew how hard it had been to face her own past, how hard it still was.

Vaneshta leaned her head closer. “She says she wants to take it slow, but I think she isn’t ready for me to see her tattoos.”

Iryana swallowed. She understood that. Whatever Lidishta had gone through was likely marked on her with the forging tattoos. It meant a lot to show your tattoos to someone; few bore them openly. The tattoos weren’t like all of one’s secrets written out across the skin, but they were pain and grief and fear painted onto the flesh. To show those to someone was the ultimate vulnerability.

“I only tell you this because we’re close friends,” Vaneshta added, giving her a serious look.

She fought a smile. “It stays between us.”

“Good. As long as she’s happy, I’m fine taking things however fast or slow my Lidi wants.”

“I never thought you’d be such a romantic.”

Vaneshta shrugged, but Iryana could see her cheeks reddening in the moonlight. “I like her.”

Iryana squeezed her friend’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you.”

When Istri was still whole and not ravaged by monsters, society cared more about that sort of thing. The two women wouldn’t have been able to be together publicly, especially given that they both came from ketsan families, and the nobility was the strictest about those rules. But it was a different world now, and from what she had seen, the brigades didn’t care about those outdated rules anymore.

Iryana was happy that Vaneshta could have this.

“You know, you haven’t let loose once this whole trip,” Iryana pointed out.